


Aldnoah Re:live

by yui_minatsuki



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Asseylum is a male antagonist here, Awkward Romance, Dark Past, F/M, Family Secrets, Gender or Sex Swap, M/M, Magical Realism, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-05 22:31:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 64,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4197444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yui_minatsuki/pseuds/yui_minatsuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slaine Troyard woke up to see sort of magical daily life <em>dream</em> as a school <strong>girl</strong>, with Klancain as his(her?) brother, and Inaho was there constantly <em>pestering her</em>. But, was it just a dream? What differs dream and reality, precisely? </p>
<p>If....<br/>Blessed with lives, once again, in the world where memories could be controlled and the previous lives could be so vivid,<br/>should they live for the past? Could they live for the present? </p>
<p>Was it a sin to look for a better future?</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <em>This story is my attempt to write crack-fic, but it looks like I've been contaminated by the dark realm of A/Z angst so much that it turns out being (serious?) angst hurt/comfort with awkward romance-fic (?). (Seeing Gen Urobuchi's work has darkened my soul a lot, but I'll do my best not to let the bad-end monster consume this fic. No way. ) </em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awake in a dREAmLITY ?

**Author's Note:**

> Don't like genderswap-thing don't read. You've been warned.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Aldnoah Zero

Slaine slowly opened his eyes as his body was violently shaken. The first thing he saw was a tangled bed sheet and strands of his long pale blond hair. His body was shook again and this time he heard a young man's voice.

"Wake up! Rain, if you keep on sleeping you'll be late for school!"

School? What school? There's nothing such as school in the jail he was kept in. Never. Was it some kind of dream?

"Rain!" The young man forced him to sit, and then dragged him out of bed. By now finally Slaine realized that he was in some kind of pale-blue wall room which was filled with some book case and indoor plants.

Certainly not his room on the prison.

Slaine still felt tired and sleepy, so this must be his dream, he believed. He sluggishly let the short-blond young man shoved him into the bathroom and closed the door. 

"I'll wait you downstairs! Quickly fix yourself up and let's go to school together! We'll go together you hear me? Don't drag me down."

Slaine heard the footsteps going down. He sighed, and started to undress himself. When he thought about it again that blond young man looked so much like the new count Cruhteo, Klancain. 

Slaine looked at his body. Strange. He wore white pajamas, and girl's frilly white underwear, and he had...

Slaine winked slowly, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Certainly what looking back at him was his own reflection: it was his face, it was his hair--just a bit longer pass his chest, 

….but it’s certainly a teenage girl’s body.

Slaine was certainly sure now that this all was just a dream. Yeah, he's still dreaming a weird _weird_ dream.

Well, since this was just a peaceful sort-of-daily-life dream which he rarely having, just get along with it until he woke up. What else? This one was a strange dream, but it's better than his usual nightmare of war and death.

...it felt so real though, but he had had nightmare that felt absolutely real before, so this time was--no exception--must be a dream too.

Slaine took a bath and dressed himself in the school dress that had been prepared on his now-tidy bed. He didn't know how to wear the cupped-thing, so he just left it. The underwear was tight-fit; he didn't like it but it couldn't be helped. The white shirt was fair, but the flowing grey plaid skirt was too short for his liking. Gladly, he found long black stockings that could cover his legs in the cupboard. He looked at the black, adorned with bat-accessories, bag on the bed. It had already been filled with school books. 

"That Klancain prepare everything for me? This is a dream indeed." Slaine heaved a sigh, took it, and went downstairs.

Right when he met 'Klancain' at the kitchen the young man shoved a toast on Slaine's mouth and dragged him outside.

"Quick! I can't believe you're oh so slow! What's wrong with you today? Usually it's you who wake me up and make our breakfast."

Hearing that, Slaine just stayed silent. He stayed silent all the way to school. He noticed his surroundings that this place was some sort of Europe-part of the world; a countryside with stony small house and beautiful garden, and it was summer as it was quite hot.

'Klancain' held his hand tightly along the way as if afraid if he let it go Slaine would disappear. It's...kind of strange...even this was just a dream he never ever imagined that Klancain Cruhteo would be this caring about his well-being.

They both arrived at the closed gate of an old-abandoned house. "Oh God, look! We've been late! Aaaargh.." Klancain took out a strange stick from his white bag, muttering something, then dragging Slaine entered the house's solid wall fence.

Slaine snapped his hand out of Klancain's grip and ran away. He didn't like the idea of any Cruhteo dragged him into a haunted house- -be it in a dream or not.

As he heard the young man screamed an un-understandable utterance behind him, Slaine was sure that this daily-but-not-so-daily life dream had started to turn into a nightmare. He ran as fast as and as far as he could and never turning back.

His footsteps felt real, the breeze of the wind felt real, the look that he got from the countrymen felt so real, the accusing look he got from the cows and the sheep and the birds all felt real! He then ran away from the village area and went to the field that he saw down the hill.

When he was sure that he had been alone he slowed his steps and rest under a big old oak tree near the meadow. He looked at the horizon. His tiredness has been multiplied and he couldn't resist falling asleep.

When he woke up, to his horror, he was still under the oak tree, wore a girl school dress, and the noon summer heat was merciless, and the one in front of him who had woke him up was none other than Kaizuka Inaho. He wore a male version of his school uniform and an eye patch covered his left eye.

"What are you doing here, Bat?" said that as expressive as brick wall face tonelessly.

Slaine snapped Inaho's hand away, "and what are you doing here, Orange? Why must you endlessly disturbing me even in my dream?" 

Inaho Kaizuka looked at Slaine with his unreadable calculating eye. "You've been woken up if I shall correct you. Come back to school with me, Cain is really worried."

Inaho stood up and eyed Slaine, as if waiting for the blond to stand up too. Slaine huffed, stood up, and went away from Inaho. He went straight to the distant horizon offered by the meadow. 

Walking through the short yellowish grass without any clear destination, Slaine realized that Inaho had been following him from a good measure. He let him be. This was just a dream, as long as Inaho didn't do anything and just walked silently there he wouldn't mind.

But to his dismay, his sleepiness and his sore feet and his thirst and his hunger felt so so _so much_ real. What's going on with this dream? Oh yeah, he had to redeem his sin. That was a heavily un-measureable sin, so no wonder that even in dream he had to suffer too.

So, Slaine Troyard kept on walking although he walked slower and slower from time to time. The meadow looked endless, and the heat was merciless. Perfect.

"Where are you going?" Inaho asked him. 

Oh yeah, this made the perfection of the perfect hell; Kaizuka Inaho, the hero of Earth who had caught him _miraculously_ alive, sticking to him to the very end.

"None of your business." Slaine hissed without looking back.

"Continue walking aimlessly like this and you'll faint in no time."

"Wow, that will be great! It'll be better if I just die right then." _'Perhaps by dying here I'll finally awake and back to my peaceful-far-from-Inaho cell in the prison'_ Slaine mused.

"Bat, that's not funny." At those words Inaho grabbed Slaine's hand and dragged him to the nearest shady tree. Slaine badly wanted to let go but he was too worn out for that.

Inaho sat under the tree and since he didn't let go of Slaine's hand at all it made the pale blond sat side by side with him. Slaine hissed at their joined hands and turned his face away from Inaho.

"Bat, drink." Inaho said tonelessly, giving Slaine a pouch of water with his free hand.

Slaine smiled and glared menacingly at Inaho, "Orange, my hand. Let.it.go."

"That, I can't comply. So now drink, and then eat. You can have my lunch if you don't want to eat what Cain has made for you."

Slaine eyed the pouch, and then looked at Inaho's face, to the pouch, and to that goddamn wall-like face again. He heaved an exasperated sigh. "Fine.Whatever." 

When he got enough energy back he would certainly punch that @#%$@ face and run away...far far away from that existence labeled as Kaizuka Inaho.

When Slaine was slowly eating Inaho's japanese-style lunch box (it's delicious, so he was kind of happy, but for sure he wouldn't admit it), Inaho stared deeply at him and called--cautiously, "...Rain?"

"If you want to properly call my name you've missed an 'S'" [Slaine's name is read 'surein' in the anime, the pronunciation closed to 'rain' (rein), just missed an 'S' at the front]

"I see…" to Slaine's dismay, Inaho's grip on his left hand got tighter. "...How are you feeling?" 

No reply. Slaine kept on munching, refusing to look at Inaho. He really hated that question by Inaho each and every time the brunet visiting him in the prison. 

"You don’t seem too bad....but you really should eat your meals, though. Cain has been complaining."

"Cain? Who's that? Do you mean the warden?"

"Yes," if only Slaine saw Inaho's eyes now he wouldn't miss the warmth radiating there, "yes, the warden has been complaining."

"Hmf."

Slaine ate peacefully after that. Inaho didn't say anything and like hell Slaine would say a thing. But Inaho never let go of Slaine's hand. Never. Even if he were to burn through the atmosphere by holding Slaine Troyard's frail existence he would never let it go.

When he saw Slaine finishing his lunch box and then drinking from the pouch, Inaho discreetly open his eye patch and looked at Slaine with his glowing-red left eye, muttering something under his breath. Slowly but sure un-fightable drowsiness engulfed Slaine. The pale blond finally fell asleep in Inaho's arms.

-to be continued-

Uniform illustration:

[Aldnoah Re:live illustration1](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=51530963) by [yui-minatsuki](http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=3251155) on [pixiv](http://www.pixiv.net/)


	2. THE PRINCess miragE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go serious (?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't like genderswap-thing don't read. You've been warned.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Aldnoah Zero
> 
>  
> 
> My special thanks to awesome Naho for beta-reading this :D XD XD XD
> 
>  
> 
> And for you who's still keep reading this...thank you very much for sharing your precious time with me. *bows deeply

Slaine woke up harshly. But has he been asleep? He hadn't seen any dream… so perhaps he was still inside a dream. He looked at his body. Girl. Ok. He's still dreaming.

He looked at his surroundings; it seemed he was in some sort of large school infirmary. There were rows of beds and the reddish afternoon sun came through the white drapes.

He felt his right hand being held by someone; when he looked up it was Klancain. That young man looked at him with worry. 

".......Do you feel alright? Do you need something to drink...or eat? Ah and....uh..." this 'Klancain' looked like he's struggling to say something...

...but Slaine didn't care, "Why don't you just worry about your wife, empress Asseylum, and stop disturbing me?" Slaine murmured out loud. 

Klancain looked horrified hearing that. To be exact, he was so mortified that he let Slaine release his hand from his grip. Klancain froze like that while Slaine moved out of the bed to the window.

Slaine noted that he was still in his dream world: right now by the window he could see a smoking caterpillar on the branch of a tree which had a face on it, and it seemed that they were in a deep conversation.

"Do you think he's still alive? You know, that prince Seiram?" The tree fearfully asked the caterpillar.

"After getting shot in the head and heart? He would be an undead monster if he could survive those 2 years ago." The caterpillar heatedly answered and then puffed out greenish smoke.

"But the thing is that that cursed clan has forged with the ancient relic from the meteoroids, that damn Aldno-what thing, don't you think he could easily get away with that? I fear he has made a come back...'Cause, you know the recent news: Nilokeras Framework has been missing from its stone-coffin."

"It just finally decomposed. That's all."

"Do you think it could? What if--hey that girl's been looking at us for a while now."

The caterpillar caught Slaine staring, "What's wrong kid? Mind your own business, will you?" It puffed its greenish smoke to Slaine's face, but it couldn't get to him as the window glass was between them.

Slaine turned away: enough with this mad dream, he had to get away from here!

Aiming for the door, Slaine was stopped by 'Klancain'. "Where are you going?" He asked.

He sounded so lost...and sad? Slaine couldn't comprehend it. Why should this 'Klancain' behave like this? Even if this was a dream it was too much.

"I need to wake up, count Klancain, is there something you can help me with?"

'Klancain' went deathly pale in an instant. Slaine was quite enjoying that view since he disliked him a bit. Well, how couldn't he? That happy-go-lucky new count suddenly waltzed in the moon base and got out carrying the princess he fought everything for. Slaine knew he shouldn't hate that blond since both of them were the same: willingly be the princess pawn 'till the end, but still...

Suddenly Slaine felt someone pinching his cheeks _hard_ from behind. It was so sudden and painful that tears gathered on the corner of his eyes.

Right before his elbow landed on his attacker, that person leapt two steps away from him.

It was Kaizuka Inaho, with his famous flat expression.

Slaine was burnt by hatred that he's unable to utter a thing.

"Still thinking that this is all just a dream? Do you need me to pinch you again?" The brunet said (to Slaine's hearing) mockingly.

All his hatred he expressed it into a punch. 

* * * 

Walking through the school's corridor, Slaine glared at Inaho who walked beside 'Klancain'. To Slaine's disappoinment the brunet's swollen cheek was gone _magically_ after their fight. Slaine didn't have any bruishes as Inaho in-so-dream-like-quality didn't fight him back. Now Inaho didn't look at him at all and just stared blankly ahead.

Meanwhile, 'Klancain', or maybe he should start call him just 'Cain' from now on (?) (as the blond had begged him after the fight with such a despaired expression that Slaine had pitied him), tried to talk to him that this all was not a dream; and that Slaine should get back to his senses.

"I am Cain Krucht, I am your adoptive brother, and he is our friend, Inazuka Nao.” The blond gestured his hand to Inaho. “This is our magical school. See for yourself, this is our classroom."

'Klancain' or 'Cain'...whatever...opened the door and Slaine could see a classroom: a normal classroom with a tidily arranged desk and blackboard at the front. There were moving pictures at the wall though, shattering the image of 'normal'. The clock that showed a 'go home' time was yawning.

"This is your seat," Klancain touched the desk that was in the furthest corner, "you were shy, and so you chose to sit here with me sitting in front of your seat so that I'd be close to you whenever you needed help."

Slaine couldn't imagine that. Even in a dream. No.

"You don't...remember anything?" Klancain carefully asked.

Silence. Inaho pulled out his tablet made of platinum from his bag and beeping sounds could be heard each time he touched its crystal screen.

"The...the lesson, your favorite lesson was Magical Beast. You wish someday you could see a Sleipnir with your own eyes. Ah, and you deeply loved Plantology too...and…you disliked Charm and you often forgot to bring your wand, but I always carry a spare wand for you."

Tired by Klancain's impossible explanation Slaine moved his sight to Inaho's tablet.

"What are you looking at?" The pale blond couldn't help but to be curious.

"Your photo. This was you when you cried your heart out at the cheesy drama in the Ard Village Annual Summer Festival a year ago." Inaho showed him the portrait of girlish Slaine with tears streaming down heavily from her eyes.

"........."

A punch to a certain wall face, and Slaine went to one of the windows to open it. He badly needed fresh air right now.

Looking at his now slender and girlish hands, he couldn't believe that all this was real. No. He couldn't accept it. 

But for now he had to accept defeat.

When he finally woke up later (He would! He desperately believed he would!), every dream, even a long one, would come to an end eventually. 

So Slaine obeyed without putting up a fight, walked home with Cain… and Inaho beside him. Slaine was too tired to deal with that fact. For now, let's just call it a day. It's not that bad though: the scenery was beautiful, the air was clear, and Klancain didn't dare to hold his hand again, and the most relieving thing was Inaho didn't say anything at all. The brunet was busy with his tablet.

Enjoying the peaceful, dreamy view of a serene village, Slaine couldn't help but to smile a little. Looking back at the school behind them, it looked like a normal school appearance should. Klancain had explained to him before that it would turn into a special haunted building once the students were late; so that the late students would suffer through things they feared the most until they arrived inside their respective classroom. Strange enough, it was the headmaster's idea. And it worked.

The village road was made of grey and white paving stones arranged in meticulous floral pattern. Mostly the houses were quite small, but each house had a beautiful garden in the front. Slaine could see the happily giggling sunflowers and singing tulips and many more living plants as the wooden fences weren't that tall. He could enjoy it now somehow as he didn't panic too much being trapped inside this obnoxious dream like before. 

"Slaine...Slaine..." 

The pale blond felt a chill running down his spine. Someone had called him softly, so so softly. Inaho was still glued at his tablet and Klancain was looking at his wrist watch. So, who had called him? 

"Slaine....Slaine...."

That voice came again, this time it was louder, and Slaine could recognize that voice now. It was princess Asseylum's chirping-like-blue-bird voice.

That voice kept on calling, and it got clearer and clearer to him while Inaho and Klancain didn't seem to have any reaction to it. Slaine frantically looked for where it came from.

Then, there, at the furthest fork intersection, he saw it. Asseylum Vers Allusia smiled at him.

"Come back to me, and redeem your sin, Slaine Saazbaum Troyard." Asseylum said with clarity of crow screeches, and then glided hastily to the left, to the direction of a sunflower field.

Slaine immediately ran to that intersection, to that sunflower field. He ran. And ran. He couldn't believe he could be this fast.

The calling sound kept urging him to come. To follow. So he did, even though now the sunflowers' leaves were hitting him and complaining to him he didn't care. Klancain screamed something far in his back. Had he been following him? But that, too, he didn't really care.

He finally came quite close; he could see vividly that flowing golden hair and the waving white gown and the hand reaching out for him. But when he stretched his hand to touch it a strong hand pulled his waist and dragged him further away from that hand.

"Princess Asseylum!" Slaine screamed desperately.

BANG 

A sick, writhing sound,

BANG

A gush of wind and then Asseylum Vers Allusia was gone. 

Slaine looked at the one who held his waist as that person fired a gun. 

 

It was Kaizuka Inaho, and the brunet wore a dark expression he didn't know that stoic face could have.

Slaine trembled violently as tears streaming down his face. His voice died in his throat as the scene where the person whom he respected so much, Count Saazbaum, shot his dear childhood princess friend, was replayed over and over again in his head. 

And now, the one who held the gun and shot the princess was the orange rival whom he acknowledged and respected and looked up so much. And he had been the one who protected the princess too.

Too much. This nightmare was too much.

When he finally found his voice he screamed and lashed out at Inaho. 

"Stop it, Rain! Stop it!!" Klancain tried to stop Slaine but he was rewarded with the raging pale blond elbowed him.

"Let her be, Cain." Inaho stated calmly albeit his situation, "if by fighting me she can calm her raging heart, let her be."

Hearing that, Slaine stopped altogether. But tears were still streaming down his face. Slowly then, he sobbed, whimpered, and dropped himself to the ground; after he distanced himself a bit from Inaho and Cain he cried his heart out loud.

Klancain and Inaho didn't dare to come closer. Good. He was in so much pain that he didn't want anyone to touch him. He frantically tried to find his pendant to hold on, but he couldn't find it. So he clutched his shirt instead, and kept crying.

"Cain, look after her; I'm going to report to headquarter." Inaho raised his eyepatch and transformed some sunflowers into a blanket and then gave it to Cain. "Put this to her when she's been calm enough." He had added before he stepping away.

Inaho made his tablet float in the air next to him as he took his fallen gun and cautiously assessed his surroundings. Inaho looked at the ground where he calculated was the last place the mirage had been before. There was a small port-gate in the form of a 1 meter diameter silver ring. It had been deactivated from the other side though.

"Hello, Yuki-nee, relay this to all Area 11 Protectors: the prince has been spotted, he has tried to cage back the gull."

"What? The prince? Are you sure? He's back?" 

"Yes, I couldn't see the mirage actually, but Slaine called it _princess asseylum_ \--the past identity of whom we know as prince Seiram Vers Illusia. So in conclusion, judging from the mirage quality of being undetected by unintended party, Seiram has tried to lure Slaine using the Aldnoah Re:live Soul Art system."

"He's really back then...oh I hope the emperor doesn't suddenly rise from the dead too."

"He's been blown up in the Lunar. I don't think he could."

"Well, just maybe? That clan is really something. We've dealt with them first-hand, so we don’t know for sure about that."

"We'll discuss it later along with things going on today. Ask healer Yagarai to stand by at Cain's house."

"Ok. Be careful, Nao-kun; you know what that prince is capable of."

"I know," Inaho looked at Slaine who was now wrapped in the blanket, sleeping in Cain's protective arms; it looked like Cain had used drowsiness charm--good choice of act. "I know, Yuki-nee. I won't let Gull fall into his cruel grasp again. Never."


	3. the PAST VerS and the PRESENt kruchT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A soul so broken that he didn't have a dream he could call his own  
> so he tried his best to fulfill the dream of those he treasured around him
> 
> his (adoptive) father
> 
> the princess
> 
> those two had dreams that clashed with each other's but still  
> he tried his best to look for a way to fulfill both
> 
> the results: he lost the man whom he saw as a father figure and the princess who had saved his life.
> 
>  
> 
> .......the sorrow so deep that he tried to cherish the people he treasured around him
> 
> Harklight
> 
> Lemrina
> 
> Soldiers of the moon base
> 
> Low class citizen of Mars
> 
> He took the role they're wishing on him,  
> abusing his gentle heart in the process, but he kept on going.
> 
> and the result was.....utter destruction.
> 
>  
> 
> So I conclude that trying to fulfill just everyone's wishes will only do no good. Can human ever be satisfied? 
> 
> That's why I feel I need to make it clear here first to Asseylum Vers Allusia's fan that the story I write here having her as the antagonist--a male antagonist to be exact.
> 
> Don't like don't read.
> 
>  
> 
> \- Special thanks for Naho for beta-reading this chapter for me and taught me many things ^o^/ -
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  

Above the black lake, there was a mechanical castle. But that castle was unseen as its optical camouflage was perfect--there's not even heat signature. Now it was hidden perfectly between the stars in the night sky.

Inside that castle, completely sealed from the outside world, there was a garden. That garden was filled with various sizes of trees and flowers. A white paper butterfly shifted slightly between blue roses with black leaves there. It was dim. The only source of light came from the freely floating white orbs. It was so quiet. The trees didn't dare to talk. The roses lost their voice.

Seiram Vers Illusia walked lightly through its gray-paved path. The dimness couldn't silence his regal beauty. His big green eyes were sparkling, giving different contrasts to the dark red military outfit he's wearing now. His long hair was put into an untidy braided bun. He smiled of pure joy, carrying a pair of black scissors. Sometimes his dark cloak touched the grass lightly as he walked, making them tremble in fear. 

Humming some notes, he cuts off some blue roses. Blood was dripping from where he cut them. He failed to get Slaine today, but it's alright. He could always seize that Tharsis Core later anytime. He owned Slaine's absolute loyalty in the past, so in this lifetime too, Slaine Troyard was no doubt his. No need to worry.

Seiram carried the blue roses he got through the dark steel corridors, which parts would move from time to time. He opened the door at the furthest corner, carefully, as if afraid of breaking something inside. That room was cold, with white mist hanging in the air. There was a huge glass-tank connected with various cables and pipes to the floor and the ceiling in its centre. That tank was empty, but it was clean, as if waiting readily for someone to be held inside. 

That room was filled with blue roses arranged inside various vases, or just placed haphazardly on the floor. Some of the roses were made as wreath adorning the cables and pipes. Those blue roses never withered; Seiram had cultivated them especially after all.

The prince put the bucket of roses he had just gotten near the steel placard under the glass tank. He softly caressed the name that's written there. 

"I've rebuilt and decorated your room. I hope you'll like it when you come back....Slaine.." He whispered, gazing at the letters written there with a gentle look. 

The first time he saw Slaine was 16 years ago. Seiram was one year old then and Slaine was still a new born baby floating inside the reddish liquid in that glass tank. Both of them were so young, but both of them had joined the war under the flag of Vers Kingdom. 

It's not that impossible. Moreover, it’s something common; awakening memories of the past life has been a Vers family speciality since a long time ago. One year old Seiram had all the past memories of his previous life as Asseylum Vers Allusia. While for Slaine, well, Cores didn't need to be awake to re:live aldnoah--they just need to be there, so it was not needed.

But as Slaine had been taken from his grasp, Seiram had decided to awaken those memories needed for Slaine to come back to him. It was a good thing to do after all.

Remembering the past life was great. Seiram could learn from the mistakes his past life had done and then took another way, another approach to achieve the thing he wished.

He remembered those mistakes: of being too naive, of being so obtrude, of giving off the activation factor to everyone, of loving Earth so much that she had made her childhood friend a scapegoat for a fabricated peace.

She was too young and she had slept for too long, loving her naive dream too much that she refused to see reality.

She was too stubborn to accept that not all humans were wishing for peace. Not all humans were loving. Not all humans were forgiving.

She never understood those. She loved everything and everyone, she never harbored hate, she wished happiness for all. That's why she never truly understood the pain of those who couldn't love anymore, the pain of those who hated, the pain of those who could no longer see dreams. 

As she failed to understand, she failed to connect with the heart of the people. Throughout her life countless assassination attempts had been done to her. But all failed to make her understand as she was that stubborn. She held on to her ideal of perfect peace so much that she had unknowingly dismissed those who felt things she couldn't understand.

Seiram smiled sadly, the scene of a memory of a long, long time ago with his soft-hearted childhood friend replayed once again... 

 

_"Birds?"_

_"Yes, Milady."_

_"Animals that fly through the air...when we reach Earth, I will be able to see them, won't I?"_

_"Yes, progress is slow, but the scars of Heaven's Fall are fading. Nature is powerful, and when an area is depopulated, it immediately began to reclaim it."_

_"Depopulated?"_

_"Yes, as opposed to urban areas, plant life reproduces abundantly in devastated regions, and..."_

_"...It is sad, isn't it? That we are unable to thrive together."_

_"Not at all! With forethought and hard work, it is possible!"_

 

**Liar**

 

_"Do you really think so?"_

_"Yes! It is possible for us to thrive together!"_

 

**But you lied for me.**

 

She should have seen it, but she didn't like that reality so she simply refused to accept it.

Seiram stood, looking at the empty glass tank in front of him forlornly.

Giving Aldnoah activation rights to everyone was kindness that would benefit all humanity, that was what Asseylum Vers Allusia had believed.

And yet, war was still raging on: in the name of hatred born out of love, at the standing of lies and truth, at the thought of loss and gain. Humans were greedy after all; they could never be satisfied--be it in technologies, culture, or revenge.

She failed to understand that. She believed with trust given and some peaceful negotiation Mars and Earth could thrive together to the future. 

She should have known better why the UFE accepted peace treaty that easily, using a scapegoat scenario that's filled with plot holes after wars which had killed countless lives; they needed time to rebuilt their lives and military forces properly. So, when she shared Aldnoah technology with them, it's just like she handed them a divine tool to finish off her home planet. She didn't intend to of course, but she had underestimated UFE, its intelligence and human's greedy nature so much.

By the time Earths side possessed all the secrets around Aldnoah, Mars walked straight to its doom.

The war between Vers and UFEs resumed, badly, cruelly: both were powered by aldnoah. 

It's natural. The history of mankind is painted in red and black.

Humans are not pure angels after all.

Earth had been rich with resources, while Mars was so devastated. Mars desired Earth, while Earth only harbored deep hatred for that red planet.

As Mars citizen lost their biased believes towards the Earth, thanks to Asseylum’s _great_ vouch, many of them chose to live in that blue planet--be it using forces or as refugee.

Slowly but surely, Mars was abandoned. Perhaps the ancient race that had had Aldnoah technology thousands years ago had left for the exact same reason. Mars was just too harsh a place for living--no matter how high the technology one could possess.

Asseylum Vers Allusia was a stubborn naive little girl 'till the very end, and it had costed her all the things she held dear on Mars and Earth.

Seiram Vers Illusia swore he would never do that mistake again in this life time. 

"I've woken up now, I won't be sleeping again. I'll be a great monarch, definitely different from what I've been in the past before. I'll lead humanity to evolve for a peaceful future.

Stay by my side. I need you to predict the future for me. Slaine..."

He gently caressed that empty glass tank. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine opened his eyes and he saw a white ceiling. He was on a bed.

Had he been sleeping? But he didn't feel like it...

So, was he still dreaming? 

He sat, looking at his surroundings. He was no longer at the sunflower field. He was in a room filled with a bookcase and an indoor plant. He was not inside his cell in the prison.

He looked at his body. A girl. That means he was still dreaming. But was he still continuing that nightmare where he saw princess Asseylum getting shot again? He hoped not. He hoped this time was a different kind of dream. 

....but he has bad luck; that, he knew best.

"Rain, you've woken up." Klancain beamed at the door; he carried a plate filled with toast and a glass of milk. He looked so relieved. "How do you feel? Do you feel...nauseated or something...?" That blond asked carefully.

See?

Slaine just stayed silent. He had just woken up but he already felt so tired dealing with Klancain.

...or Cain? 

...why did he feel that that known face of a certain count...wasn't a count?

Slaine touched his head, something is definitely wrong with it; He started to recall a scene where Cain was, shorter than he was now, holding his hand along the snowy forest path.

It was cold. He had forgotten to bring his gloves. So, Cain made him wore his left glove, and then he held his right hand along the way to keep it warm. 

Another recollection hit him fast before that one was over.

He was building a snowman, and Klancain, much shorter and younger, helped him forming it. They're shaping it into a bat. Then, someone rolled a snowball and placed it next to the snow-bat, saying that it was the snow- bat’s orange... 

_'What are these? Whose memories are....these? Mine?'_ Slaine tried to stop more vision from coming; they made his head feel heavy.

"Are you alright?" Cain asked in worry. He put the food on the wooden table and sat beside Slaine.

".....just leave me alone..." Slaine didn't dare to look at Cain in the eyes; afraid it would spark another recollection.

"............okay." The blond young man stood up and walked away.

"........wait."

Cain waited patiently at the doorstep. Rain looked like she was battling with herself, totally confused.

"....shouldn't we...go to school today?" Slaine asked hesitantly to Cain's surprise.

"Do you want to go to school? Are you sure? If you don't feel too well, don't force yourself." Cain said. He knew it would be better for Rain to just stay at home as last night Healer Yagarai had given her lots of potion to help her body fight the memory-coordinator that had poisoned her since before. She maybe looked just fine, but actually her body was strained to fight at its limit. 

Cain didn't know who had skillfully drugged his sister without anyone noticing--was it the work of that Aldnoah thing mirage system too? He really couldn't forgive anyone who had done this; drugs and herbs that play around with memories were all listed in B-rank dark-items (only one who had the proper license was allowed to use it since a slight mistake could cost one's life-or the least-one's sanity). He hated everyone who misused them for any-reason. Memories shouldn't be played with.

".............I'm fine. Really." Slaine lied. He really wanted to know whether things he had just seen in his head were just his imagination or not. That someone who built the 'orange snowman' looked so much like a .... _cute_ (he hated to admit it, but yes) young-version of Inaho Kaizuka. So Slaine wanted to ask him a lot of questions or whether he had a photo of that memory.

And he badly wanted to go out of this house and find more clues about whether this all was real or everything was only happening inside his dream.

_' Dreams are sweet. That's why they're deceitful and they will hit you with disappointment as huge as the hope you built when you lose them as you wake up.'_ Slaine thought bitterly. _'That's why I don't like dreaming.'_

"I don't think you should go to school today...you look pale. Don't worry, I'll stay with you." Cain smiled reassuringly as a brother should be, "Ah, and mother will be coming home today, too!" 

Slaine's heart skipped a beat, "? Mother?"

"Yes. Our lovely mother, Nina Krutch!" Cain walked closer and sat down beside Slaine again. "Don't worry, you'll remember about her soon, and don't be afraid of her. She really loves you---loves us both equally big. She has an immense love-factory inside her heart after all."

Cain spread his hands, trying to picture something that's really big. He remembered when his mother said she would adopt a child, an about 10 year old girl; Cain was sad and afraid of losing the love of his mother. He knew that his mother had really wished to have a baby girl in the family; he felt he couldn't compete with this newcomer. But then his mother said that she had a big, big love-factory inside her heart that could produce huge love endlessly to be given fairly to her children--be it by blood or by signed paper. He believed the same words had been said to Rain too. He hoped she could remember it soon...

Cain looked at his adoptive sister. She seemed awry and anxious as if she had never met a mother figure before--both in the past or in this present life. He understood that for this present-time she'd lost her memories. But...

With a blush adorning her cheeks, Rain seemed too happy to let her joy of going to see 'her mother' being overpowered by anxiety and awkwardness. Had she never had a chance to feel a mother's love during her previous life before? Well, Cain didn't know exactly as the Krutch family couldn't see people's past lives and they had resistance over it too---they were truly people of the present.

And he really did wish that his adoptive sister would let her past life go and live for the present too.

"Mom probably will arrive around noon. Eat your breakfast and then sleep well. When mother comes I'll wake you up." Klancain said, offering a little bit burnt toast to Slaine. He wished he could give his foster sister better food-grade, but really, toast was all he could make that other people considered edible. 

Slaine didn't feel like eating. But since 'his mother' would come he felt obliged to eat. What would this 'mother' be like? And it's _his mother_ ; what would she be like? To greet her, Slaine felt like he should take a bath after this and then dress up nicely. Although he believed that in this dream (or reality?) his choice of outfit was limited to girly clothes he wouldn't mind....oh wait, he could always borrow Klancain's dress. Cain was _his brother_ after all. 

"Cain, may I borrow your clothes?"

"Why? Uh, wait. It must have something to do with you being a boy in your past-life...I see. But I think you should appreciate your cuteness now and wear those cute clothes suitable for you."

"What? What are you talking about?" Slaine started to think that this was how it felt to have a talk with a brother: tiring--like each of them having a different natural ground of view from the first until the very end. But he didn't despise it. "I don't know what you're talking about, but the point is I don't like wearing girlish clothes."

"Oh...hum...I can't lend you mine. I'm much taller than you. If you want to, you can use Inazuka's clothes--he's just a bit taller than you."

"What?? There's no way I would lower myself in front of him by borrowing his clothes." Slaine said out loud to hide his shock. _'What? He's taller than me? No...even if it's just-a-bit I can't accept it!'_ he thought.

"Actually he has already left a box of his usable clothes for you here, talking about you being a guy in the past." Cain pointed at the box under the cupboard in disdain. Nao seemed to be really considerate about Rain's past and he was a bit bothered by it. But, the brunet was his friend so he couldn't refuse him leaving that box there.

Slaine moved out of the bed and then opened that orange-patterned wooden box. _'That orange-obsessed Orange...'_ He braced himself, hoping that Inaho didn't lend him bright orange colored clothes just to annoy him. 

The first thing that he saw, there was his father's pendant near a note, put neatly on a pile of clothes. The note said:

 

 

_This charm might not be the real one, but what's more important are your feelings that are attached to it._

_The same goes with what you're going through now; is it dream? Is it reality? The answer doesn't really matter. Both could be bad and good. Both can turn out to be something crazy. Dreams tend to show something unexplainable, but reality also has its own unpredictability. Dreams sometimes feel so real and reality sometimes feels like a dream._

_I have seen a true miracle. I’## ##t ##u ##### ###e . That makes me think that I'm living in a dream. I'm afraid that this dream will end. But then I realize that everything in this world--reality--has its end too. So, really, what it is called doesn't matter anymore. Whatever the end, however short it might be, I only feel gratitude for this chance of the 'present time'._

_D##’# ###### t# ###r # b## #### y## ## ###. W### ### ###’t w### ### ##’s d###r#####g. ###’# #### l### ## #####l, h#########’s ###### c## ## #####. ###’t #####r t###### ### ###### a######## #### ######: #t’# d#######s. D##’# g## d####### ## S#####’# m#####. D##’# y## #### f##### #t a####! Eat your meals properly. Don't sink yourself in depressing thoughts._

_I hope you realize the miracles you've got and feel contentment like I do._

_\- Kaizuka Inaho_

 

 

A lot of the words were crossed out, so it was hard to read it. But reading those plus realizing how Inaho had struggled to write this for him, tears gathered in Slaine's eyes. He looked at the charm. That pendant was like a perfect copy of the one that his father left for him. Inaho had put a great effort to duplicate it to the smallest detail. How could he do it? Why?

Tears were dripping down on Slaine's cheeks as the pale blond thought that this dream (or reality?) had started turning into the nicest thing he could ever have. 

Would this come to an end?

Yes, eventually.

But that didn't mean he shouldn't feel happy for this 'present time'--no matter whether it's dream or reality--no matter how short it might be--

He would treasure it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho Kaizuka checked the footage of the glass-eyes-surveillance across the public places and main road of the Ard village through his tablet once again. The history teacher explained something in front of the class, but he paid no attention. That teacher was also a Protector, she had already known that Inaho's actual undercover job wasn't to study and he actually didn't need to attend school anymore. From yesterday’s footage and the day before he didn't see any suspicious person came to the sunflower field where the ring-gate was found. Had it been there for a long time before? But that ring seemed to be recently made, could it be that it's non-human who had brought it there? 

Or could it be that Soul Art System had been upgraded by the Vers so that now its mirage could carry things? But if that was true Slaine would have been kidnapped easily by that prince since yesterday or even before. So, in conclusion, the ring-gate was brought to its connecting-coordinate by a non-human creature. 

Inaho needed to make a list of non-human creatures that dwelled in Ard and started to look for the one who had possibly brought a one-meter in diameter steel ring without anyone noticing. But for now he had to check the recent footage of Ard village that was listed on his responsibility....

_'Seriously, this Area 11 needs more protectors. It's a good thing that Nina Krutch will be back here this noon...wait...'_ Inaho got something by his musing, _Slaine was lured right when Mrs.Krutch hadn't been home for official duty...could it be that there's a traitor between the Protectors?'_

Inaho thought he needed to talk to Mrs.Madgbaredge about it.

 

\- to be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone knows some tips and tricks around html to post something here please tell me...


	4. - The Value of Life? What is -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- The Value of Life? What is -  
> [Does the answer depend on whom you ask that question to?]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Naho for beta-reading this chapter and taught me many things again ^o^/ and for being patiently stay with me although my bad-grammar-strange-words-choice writing is not that easy to comprehend and (more than one times) misleading; I really should read more English literature to enrich my vocabs and to know how to properly say things...
> 
>  
> 
> And I'm really grateful for you who are still sacrificing your precious lifetime reading this fic \^o^/ 
> 
> Thank you very much.... m_ _m

\- The Value of Life? What is -  
[Does the answer depend on whom you ask that question to?]

 

A really old wizard stood in front of a two-storey house with a beautiful garden. He was so old that his white beard almost touched the ground. His worn-out hat had numerous patches on it. His robes were so shabby, but it wasn't because no one had taken care of him. He just didn't like anyone to nurse him. 

He glared at the beautiful woman who was standing beside him. "So, I will stay here? Why should I?" He bitterly asked her. 

That woman, Nina Krucht, played with her long twintails hair a bit. Her pink witch hat was adorned with a single big coreopsis flower. She wore a white lolita dress under her white robe. "Um...'cause I can't look after you in your place as my daughter now needs me to stay close to her. And luckily my Leader has agreed to meet my request." She replied cheerfully, unaffected by that gramps menacing eyes. "Now, come in. Take it as your own home. You'll be staying here for an indefinite period of time after all."

"I don't want to. Why don't you just kill me? It would be much better!"

"How rude...my house isnt that bad." She said, still all smiling. She opened the door without knocking it first. "Dear, I'm home. I brought many gifts you will definitively like!"

When Nina entered the living room, her eyes fell on Slaine who was wearing Inaho's white shirt and black trousers. All those didn't clearly show Slaine's girly curves well as they were tailored for men's wear. Seeing that, the pink hat witch looked utterly mad.

"Rain? You should not wear those clothes! That doesn't suit you..." 

"Eh? What? Wait, Cain, you didnt say that we have an elder sister...who is she?" Slaine stammered, stepping back as Nina approaching him in angry steps.

"I am your mother! And whats with this hair?" Nina took Rain's long hair that was tied just like that with a common rubber band. It could damage her hair! Nina was just so pissed by it that she untied it and shoved Rain to the sofa. She then sat behind her. Cain, without being told as he was used to this ruckus, gave his mother a brush and two hair bands. The young man just hoped that Slaine wouldn't feel too threatened by their mother's act....the pale blond had been so nervous before, but his mother just barged in like that, plus _this_.

"First, let's fix this hair and properly dress you up then." Nina said cheerfully as she gently combed Rain's hair. But the daughter can't dismiss the fear that already built in her heart: she never thought that a 'mother' could be so angry and turn from a younger-than-her-actual-age-looking lady to a fearsome shadow just in a split second. And moreover, for an unclear reason.

Slaine felt there's nothing wrong with his appearance! He's tidy and not smelly. So he tried to defend himself. "I'm....I'm sorry but--"

"No but! And Mr.Trill, where do you think you're going?" Nina said without looking up from Slaine's hair. Right now she was tying it into two low ponytails using sunflower scrunchies to the pale blond's ultimate shame. 

"Hey, why do you lock this door? Open it! Let me out!" The old man squalled with his small but rough voice. 

"No way." Nina answered nonchalantly; she was appreciating her 'hard work', now her Rain looked so cute with those sunflowers adorning her hair. And her cute daughter was blushing terribly too, how sweet! 

Nina got up from the sofa and dragged that old man, Mr. Trill, to her children. "Cain, Rain, let me introduce you to Mr.Trill. He'll be staying with us starting from today."

"Hi, Mr.Trill. I'm Cain Krucht. How do you do?"

"Please just kill me!" 

"Now now...Mr.Trill, that's not a proper greeting.." 

"Like hell I care!" Mr. Trill walked away and stubbornly tried to open the door, but it was futile as it's locked with magic and that furious old man didn't have his wand with him--the Protector had confiscated it since his first suicide attempt right when the old man heard the news of Nilokeras framework missing.

Cain tried to calm himself. His mother had told him that she was going home with a suicidal man whom she was recently in charge of as a Protector to guard through his wrist watch message yesterday, but he didn't imagine that the said person would be this difficult. He grabbed Mr.Trill away from the door.

"Please calm down. It will be just fine, the government will protect you..."

"That's the main stupidity! Why should they protect me? It can be dangerous I can kill many lives again!"

"That's not going to happen, you might not see it but in fact there is a lot of Protectors who're guarding you right now." Mrs.Krucht outrightly interrupted, "it's not just me but HQ also transferred the protectors who had been protecting you for a long time nearby this house. Don't worry too much, and live. Believe us, everything is under control."

"Huh? Under control? What about the missing Nilokeras framework? I bet it's the prince who has taken it! He wants to rebuilt it! But if I die he won't be able to use Nilokeras System as my soul isn't in this world anymore. So the safer bet is--"

"Everything will be just fine!" For a second Nina looked extremely controlling that no one dared to talk against her.

When Mr.Trill had been silenced, Nina tried to look all cheerful again. "Now now...my sweet girl Rain, why don't you introduce yourself to Mr.Trill?"

Slaine was caught by Nina's glare as he was obliviously trying to pull the hairbands off. He could sense something dark and dangerous rising behind that youthful mother's smiling face. He quickly fixed the hairbands again. What was she asking then? Oh yeah. Introduction.

"It's...uh...." Slaine felt confused: as whom should he introduce himself to this stranger? Should he say he was Rain? Should he say he was Slaine? Cain hadn't explained anything about Mr.Trill to him. Had he forgotten? No. Perhaps Cain just didn't know how to tell him that the suicidal old man were coming to the house.

Now the point was, what should he name his existance as? He remembered that he was Slaine Saazbaum Troyard. He still perfectly remembered how to pilot Tharsis and a Skycarrier. He's able to write down each advising words from his late adoptive father Saazbaum to him. But he also knew that he, too, had been experiencing things as Rain Krucht--although those recollections were blurry. As his memories jumbled incoherently in his head, he instinctively grabbed the remade charm that he wore beneath the shirt. 

"I....I'm Slaine--" He said at last; didn't dare to mention the family name or to look at everyone inside that room in the eyes. 

Cain didn't say anything. Mr.Trill was absolutely quiet. Mrs.Krucht heaved a sigh and came to Slaine with mild steps, but Slaine moved further away from her as if he would crumble by her touch.

".....I'm sorry." He mumbled softly.

Nina stopped her advance. With a well-natured tone she said, "There's nothing to be sorry about...Cain, would you please show Mr.Trill his room? And Mr.Trill..." Nina turned to lock the old man with her dark look. "Don't do anything stupid under my roof, you got me?" 

As if he'd come from the military Mr.Trill gave a perfect salute to the 'general' Mrs.Krucht. Cain threw a last worried look at Slaine, and then he went showing Mr.Trill his room. 

Now there's only Mrs. Krucht and Slaine in the living room. Slaine didn't dare to look at the full-fledged witch in front of him while Nina casually eyed him from top-to-toe. "So...what do you want me to call you? Slaine? Or Rain?"

Nina just leniently asked, but somehow Slaine felt he was being accused by her; he had sort of taken Rain's place in this house and that pink-hat witch's _sweet daughter_ wouldn't be coming home anymore. 

"Don't be that tense! You're in your own home and I'm your mother." Mrs. Krucht threw her robe and hat just like that--they flew automatically to the stand. "Really, I don't mind calling you Slaine if you like it more. Come on! Let's magically make something delicious for lunch!" She strongly grabbed Slaine's hand and dragged him to the kitchen.

"I...I can't--"

"I'll teach you!"

"But...but...I--"

"Yes, you can use magic! Everyone can so why won't you?"

"H...how could I? I'm...not a wizard..."

"Of course you're not; you're a witch."

"No...I'm not--"

"Everyone born in this world has magic inside. You shall learn to use it. It's fun!"

Slaine was frustated, _'guess another staple trait of a mother is that you cannot win an argument against her at all...what should I do? I don't know anything about magical cooking! I have never even gotten in to a wizard kitchen before...what to do? Oh no...she would be more disappointed as 'her daughter' has become useless now...'_

Both of them arrived at a kitchen of a wizardly household: a big sleepy refrigerator at the corner, various better-be-cencored things inside glass jars on the wooden racks beside that sleepy thing, a big cauldron in a hearth at the opposite corner, a marble table in the centre of the room with a toast burner sleeping soundly on it, and a big cupboard at the corner that the upper wood frowned in a bad mood. Slaine felt his knees going weak seeing those unbelievable things. Oh but wait, there were still things that were familiar to Slaine: a _normal_ sink and kitchen stove. Perhaps he could just help cleaning the dishes and he wouldn't seem too useless.

"Slaine, help me peel and chop these, please." Nina in a breeze put a common-looking sharp knife and a basket of crying blue onions in front of Slaine who turned pale in an instant seeing them. Those onions were eyeless and mouthless, but they were trembling and weeping with small child-like voices. 

"Th...they are crying!"

"Yes, they are. So?" Nina took out a small sack of 'Hysterical Flour' from the cupboard and put it on the table. 

"I...I can't cut them!"

Nina smiled, "Hum...but you have to cut them or else I can't make an onion pie."

".....?! I...I'm sorry...but may I plant them and let them grow instead--"

"Do you feel sorry for them or is it just because you don't want to eat my onion pie? You wanna say that my cooking is not good?" Nina asked with dark indicting look.

Slaine was about to cry together with those weeping onions. For sure, it's utterly futile to argue with a mother.

But then Mrs. Krucht laughed whole heartedly until tears gathered around the corner of her eyes. Slaine was so dumbfounded until his mother suddenly hugged him tight.

"You haven't changed at all. You're still my little girl."

"Huh? But...but..."

"No matter what happens you'll always be my little girl." The blonde witch released Slaine and patted his hair, tidying the unruly bangs that framed his face. "Around five or four years ago Inazuka tried to teach you to cook. But then you ended up crying and kicking that poor boy just because he flatly 'multilate' the 'poor onions' mercilessly although you'd begged him not to." She looked at 'her daughter's' face, smiling.

"?!? I...I did?" Slaine's face now was a beet red. 'Inazuka' must be Kaizuka Inaho, and he completely could imagine that happening. 

"Yes! You always ended up bickering with him, but nonetheless you and he always went around together. Now that I look at it closely your dress....it’s Inazuka's, right?"

"I...I'm sorry that I--"

"Don't say 'sorry' so much! You always do..." Nina patted Rain's shoulders, viewing her daughter's curvy figure that could be guessed through the clothes folds and creases. When Nina looked at it more she realized that it brought cuteness in its own way. She grinned, "Say...do you know the things around 'BF's clothes'?"

Slaine seemed lost. Was it some sort of magical wizardly thing again? He had no clue so he shook his head.

Nina's eyes were wide with realization, _'I see...That true opportunist! Khu khu khu, not bad Inazuka...not bad...with this...it's like putting a big banner on my unadorned daughter that she is yours...as expected from a war strategist genius who aims to be my son-in-law. But don't forget there's general mama here; don't expect me to just accept you like that due to this move. I need to see your resolve more.'_ Nina put an innocent smile, "Fu..fu..fu...nothing. Just forget it." 

Slaine was unaware of other staple strength of a mother: she can be an unbelievable cunning tactician behind the curtain.

 

 

 

In the end, it was Mrs.Krutch who did all the magical cookings as she had asked Slaine to only observe and remember. Now the happy youthful white lolita witch, the suicidal old wizard, the normal Cain, and the oblivious-wearing-'BF's-clothes girl were all sitting down around the wooden dining table.

"Just kill me..." 

"Mr.Trill, please, we are going to have lunch. Can't you say something else other than that morbid request? You know, once you eat my cooking you'll never wish to die again for sure! Even if Nilokeras framework really has been taken by Vers--I doubt that though--you won't be that scared."

"You don't understand a thing young lady! You don't know how scary Aldnoah Relive Nilokeras System is once it's being used in war! Me, its Core, still breathing in this world means Vers has a chance to use that mass murderer weapon again!"

"They won't have that chance; we, Protectors are protecting you." Nina shoved a leg of tender hairy scrab to Mr.Trill's mouth, shutting him up.

"?!?!? D..diz sis..." The old man slowly chewed that hairy piece, savoring its flavour. He remembered the same food he had eaten back then when he was still staying at one of the Protector's place in Gorm city. It was ultimately delicious that he was glad that he was still alive to taste it.

"So...so it was you..." Mr. Trill started to cry, "it was you who cooked the hairy crabs at that time...it was you..." 

Nina warmly smiled, "told you..." she put lots of hairy scrabs to Mr.Trill's plate. _'This is exactly why they have bestowed you to my care. Don't think of dying that easily. I'll cook as many as you want if it helps you remember again how joyful life is.'_ She thought.

No one was talking after that. Mr.Trill (with tears of happiness in his eyes), Nina, and Cain were silently munching their food while Slaine was still blankly staring at the hairy thing and bluish onion pie and mad mud cricket soup and hysteria trembling bread in front of him; thinking of many things he hadn't yet understood in this magical realm.

Too much. Perhaps that's why he started to feel a bit dizzy. He had no idea of what Aldnoah was in this realm. From the conversations between the old man and Mrs.Krucht it looked like that thing had a different function in this world; if he could conclude it was some sort of weapon with a core--a human as a core. And in this 'Nilokeras' case the Core was Mr.Trill. And this 'mass murderer weapon' wouldn't function without that old man...why? 

Slaine held his head; speaking about 'Nilokeras' made him remember katahprahkt Nilokeras and its last pilot Baron Trillram...

Slaine took a sharp deep breath and gazed at the old wizard who's now happily eating the onion pie. Without a witch hat the old man's face was now clearly seen. Through his wrinkles and white hair Slaine could figure out a face he had known. Slaine went pale and accidentaly mumbled out loud, "Mr.Trill...ram?" 

When the old man looked at him he felt it was the ghost of Baron Trillram whom he had killed staring back at him.

"What's wrong, kid? Quickly eat your lunch or I'll finish it off for you. Keek kek kek kek."

That laugh! There's no mistake that old man was Baron Trillram!

The person Slaine first killed with numerous gun shots as he was inexperienced.

Slaine stood up. Was his mind just playing some tricks or was Trillram looking at him with accusing eyes?

_'Kill me again this time, will you?'_

"No! No!!! At that time if I didn't kill you, you’d have killed the princess! But now is entirely different! I don't want to take others lives again!" Slaine said out loud, thinking that he had already taken a lot during the 2nd Earth-Mars war.

 _'Yes...yes...but what about count Saazbaum? He's the mastermind and yet you took your sweet time to kill him...why? Oh I see, it's because you like him better than me. He cared for you, while I didn't.'_

**'That made my life valued less than him for you so you gave him more time to live. Who are you to decide who should live longer? Who are you to decide, filthy terran? Can you breathe a soul to my dead body?'**

Slaine felt it's hard to breathe...and the dizziness now turned into a full-blown headache...and now Mrs.Krucht and Cain, who each were sitting beside him, were also staring at him...they're all cornering him! He desperately clutched the charm beneath his shirt.

_'Regardless of what the reason was, you have taken lives. And now you're gonna have a nice lunch peacefully? You're gonna have a nice loving family? Who do you think you are?'_

He couldn't take it anymore. 

Yes. Why didn't he just die?

He's a sinner after all.

He deceived.

He stole.

He killed.

He had taken countless lives which he couldn't revive again.

Slaine looked at a knife that was supposed to cut the weeping pie. It seemed sharp enough.

He grabbed it and aimed for his throat.

 

 

 

 

A platinum tablet fell to the floor. Inaho blinked. How unusual; he had grabbed it with the right pressure that wouldn't damage it or would let it fall. 

"That's why you don't play with your tablet while you're eating, Inaho." A short black haired boy took the fallen tablet and looked at its screen. Blank. As usual, it was screen protected so that only the one who got its owner permission could see what's on it.

"I'm not playing." Inaho shortly replied. That's true: he had just made a list of Protectors he knew who worked in Area 11. Madgbaredge had refused to give him the full list as it could endanger the Protectors' safety; the numbers had been increased though, perhaps because now Nilokeras' Core had moved here.

"Yeah...yeah...whatever." the black haired boy gave the tablet back to Inaho and continued eating his lunch.

Inaho focussed on his tablet again, letting his flying chopsticks automatically feed him.

Calm Papenbrook [Craftman]  
Kosuke Yagarai [Healer]  
Nina Krucht [Cook]  
Rayet Vee [History teacher]

He stopped making the list. He trusted them all. They had fought together with him during the war. Could they turn their back against the government they had been fighting for just like that? Perhaps that's partly why Madgbaredge refused to give him the list. A protector would never betray his or her duty to protect people; particularly after seeing how much damage Vers had caused to countless lives during the war. Aldnoah Relive was indeed a powerful weapon.

That hot topic Nilokeras for example; it had evanished 104 battleships, 87 spacecrafts, 2 villages, and 5 flying castles for as long as it had been activated in during the war between Vers kingdom and United Forces of Realta. Recently, seeing as its Framework had been missing, the higher ups argued whether Mr.Trill as its Core should be eleminated as safety measure or not. The representatives who valued civillian life won the debate. Their arguments were: the government were strong enough to protect, they hadn't broken down all mysteries of how the Aldnoah Relive System worked, and Mr.Trill was also a victim of war too (for Mr.Trill case, he's being used as the core for approximately 37 years); spending most of his life inside the core tank wasn't something anyone wanted. And so did the cores of other Aldnoah Relive Systems: Argyre, Hellas, Elysium, Ortygia,

...Tharsis...

Inaho looked at the desktop of his tablet, caressing gently his photo of his painting of Slaine Troyard. 

It was really a miracle that he had met him again here, alive and breathing; whatever his form it didn't matter. It's _him_ , and that's all to it. 

He sighed, and started to make a list again. This time was about non-human creatures which could put a 1m gate-ring in a certain sunflower field. He wanted to find the culprit soon so that he could be better in protecting the one whom he thought about all the time, be it on Earth or on this Realta.

 

 

 

 

The knife flew across the dining room and hit the stoned-wall hard. Then a sound of a hard-slap was heard. 

"What do you think you're doing?!? What's going on with you? Snap out of it!" Mrs. Krucht screamed, a wand was on her right hand and her left hand was completely red. Slaine only looked at her in a haze. He didn't feel any pain on his right cheek. He saw that she was scared and angry and sad beyond description. But, he couldn't really process what she had said; there was a buzzing sound covering his ears and his head felt heavy and his body started to feel cold. There was this voice replayed over in his head.

_'Redeem your sin...redeem your sin...come back to me...'_

As he succumbed to the darkness he felt 2 pairs of hands supporting him. Mrs. Krucht, Cain and Mr.Trill were calling out his name--but Slaine couldn't clearly hear what they had said. Did they call him 'Slaine'? Did they call him 'Rain'? He didn't pay attention of what he was named as now. He's a sinner and that's all to it; everything else didn't mattered.

So why these people cared about him so much?

Why?

When Slaine opened his eyes this time, he was staring at the dark ceiling of his room. No, it wasn't his prison room. It was just dark outside. The only source of light came from the bed-side lamp on his left. He could hear someone breathing next to him. 

He took a deep breath and then looked at his right. Cain was holding his hand, sleeping. His hand was warm.

"How do you feel? Are you hurt somewhere?"

It was a soft voice. Slaine looked at his left and he saw Mrs.Krucht. She looked tired and her hair was a bit messy. Behind her, Mr.Trill was sleeping soundly on the bed floor. 

"...I don't understand..." Slaine mumbled his thoughts, "...why?"

"Why? What?" Mrs.Krucht carefully asked, trying to look as poker faced as possible even though her heart now was a complete chaos of sadness and rage. With Slaines condition right now he needed as neutral air as possible, so that he wouldn't be scared or misunderstand things.

"....why did you save me?" Slaines voice was so soft, almost unheard.

Mrs.Krucht took a deep long breath before stating clearly, "It's because I am your mother."

"But I am a sinner."

"That's irrelevant."

"I've killed lots of people."

"That's irrelevant."

"It...War crimes...I've...killed...I don't deserve to--"

"I don't care! Do you know? Even if you've killed countless people in war, I would still be glad somehow that it's not you who had lost his life; I value your life more than those strangers."

Slaine couldn't say anything hearing those words uttered with such a cold resolute voice.

"I believe it's not just me, as a mother, who will say that." Nina tried to soften her voice. "The mothers of those people you'd killed might blame you, hate you deeply, but I wouldn't care; I wouldn't let you die by their hands. If I could save you by begging them for forgiveness to you, whatever it would cost, I'd do it."

Mrs.Krucht tenderly caressed the pale blond's hair. "Please understand that you are loved. Live on. I hope someday you'll realize once again how beautiful it is to live in this world."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cain, Inaho, and Slaine were walking together to school. Slaine was wearing the school uniform for girls as Mrs.Krucht told him to do so 'cause: Inaho didn't lend him one, Cain's uniform was being used by himself, and she didn't want to buy another set of uniforms for boys. After things that had been said last night, the pale blond couldn't refuse anything from her; it's utterly impossible to win a debate against a mother.

Now, Slaine was discreetly looking at Inaho. He had to say thank you for the dresses and the charm although it felt absolutely awkward to say it. And the brunet's super poker face didn't help him at all.

But Slaine didn't like to have a 'thank you' debt. So...

"Uh....Orange."

"What? I'm still angry at you by the way."

"Huh?!? What?" Slaine looked closely at Inaho's face. Slaine figured out that, yes, Orange's brow furrowed the slightest and his eye seemed a bit sharper and emanated a dark aura--not his usual blank. 

Still... "Really? Well, who can see that with that wall-face of yours?" Slaine turned his face from Inaho. "I see no difference there...why are you angry at me?"

"You were being an idiot again--playing with a knife like that."

 _'?!? How could he know? Has Cain or Mrs.Krucht or Mr.Trill told him?'_ Slaine glanced at Cain. His brother turned his face away and pretended that he was enjoying the view of sheep eating their breakfast. Ok. It's Cain then. 

Slaine didn't want to look at Cain or Inaho, so he stared at his bag instead, saying. "I am not an idiot!"

"Have you read all that's on the note?" Inaho asked, looking--no--evaluating Slaine's expressions.

The pale blond nodded and tried his best to hid his face by drooping his head so that his bangs covered his absolute red cheeks. It's futile though.

"It's...um...uh...th...th.....tha....." Slaine decided he couldn't say it. "That obscure writing of yours! The words that you covered badly. I can't read them at all! What are you going to say anyway?"

Inaho blinked once and then turned his face away from Slaine, "If you want to know decipher it yourself. Instead of writing on a new piece of paper I've decided to purposedly left it just like that, because it's the things I want you to know but I've calculated that they're better unsaid. But still I want you to know."

"Orange, it's impossible! You've made it way too hard for any living being to read! And no. I don't want to spend my precious time trying to know things that if only you're brave enough you will say them outloud right in front of my face."

"Bat, I object when you say that the reason of why I'm not saying the content of those crossed words is due to my lack of guts. Besides, it's proven that you have fulfilled one of my advices there without you reading the full sentences: _don't forget to wear a bra when you go out; when you don't wear one it's distracting._ I've observed that you have been wearing it right now, so I don't need to--"

Inaho couldn't finish his words as a bag adorned-with-a-bat-accessory was flying into his face.

 

\- to be continued -

 

\- The Value of Life? What is -  
[Does the answer depend on whom you ask that question to?]  
[Yes, it does have varied answers,  
although actually it only has one.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter would be longer than this one; it means it would take longer to write. But I'll see if I could split it into few chapters (with no cruel cliffhanger) then I'll do it so that it won't take that long.
> 
> I want to insert picture to this page..how do people do it? I'm trying to do it by using the first chapter as my first try ('cause this forth has already long enough) I hope it'll turn out right...


	5. - Love, Betrayal and Wishes - [Are you my enemy?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> um....awkward romance...perhaps(?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is un-betaed T.T my beta-reader hasn't replied to my email for a week; usually Naho would inform me if she/he is busy and can't beta-read for me for a while...I don't know what's going on now. I hope that he/she is alright....  
> I just felt that I can't keep this for myself only much longer. No matter how silly it might be, still, this is the story that I want the whole world to read it.  
> ......prepare yourself for strange word-choice and imperfect grammar...(hopefully it's still understandable enough)
> 
> Thank you very much for giving your precious time to see this piece of my imagination. -^_^-

Aldnoah Re:live chapter 5

\- Love, Betrayal and Wishes -  
[Are you my enemy?]

 

Inaho, Klancain, and Slaine went through the big iron gate of the Ivory Magic School. There weren't many students beside them as they arrived earlier than average students usually did. They had decided to do so to help Slaine getting used to the school environment once again since his re-emerged memories around school things were close to none. He needed to look at related-things before he could remember concepts, theories and anything recorded around those; that was what Cain had been told by Healer Yagarai about how his drugs working.

Slaine looked at the school. It was a normal-looking thick red brick four-storey building. There was a clock tower at the centre of it. There was a huge green house a little bit far on its left and the school pool was situated near that green house. There were gardens surrounding those three buildings. White lines were crisscrossing on the yard at the left of the red brick building; looked like those were some sort of a field line for a sport.

Looking at that, Slaine voiced his recollection, cross-checking it, "It's a football yard. Cain likes football and he's really popular among girls because he is good at it."

Klancain looked so relieved hearing that, "You're remembering things around me...I'm so glad..."

The pale blond stared disapprovingly at Cain, "You should not act as if you're going to have them all as your girlfriend. Can't you just choose one and stop giving the rest your false hopes?" 

"Rain, I don't want to see any of them cry...I don't want to break their hearts."

Slaine heaved a sigh. He opened his mouth, but closed it again without saying anything. _'Kindness can be a cruel thing. It could chain people to follow you, even to the deepest hell of the world--which they don't deserve to.'_ He thought, but he decided not to say that; he realized that he was guilty too--of dragging people to 'hell'. Soldiers at the moon base, Harklight, and Lemrina were dragged into a bad fate due to being 'chained' to him; he was the one to be blamed.

Slaine wondered. Did they all die during that last battle at the moon? Or did their shuttles reach safety? He didn't know. He couldn't remember information around their lives after that. Now that he tried to recall the recollections of his previous life he realized that he was only able to remember important events until the time he was put in a solitary prison. Starting from there his memory was gradually becoming blurred until nothing left. He remembered that Kaizuka Inaho continuously visiting him from time to time in the prison, but not all.

...and there was one particular visit that he remembered clearly the greeting, but not the rest, although it occurred quite at the earliest time of his imprisonment. It was as if, if that moment was a painting, a knive had slashed it many times that it only left the part near the frame.

"Are you okay? You've been spacing out for a long time; are you remembering some bad things?" Klancain asked worriedly, cutting Slaine's train of thought.

"....no...nothing." The pale blond smiled reassuringly albeit dizziness that he started to feel when he was trying to remember what that scrapped part was. He stopped doing it and the headache subsided. Strange. But Slaine couldn't think about it further as Klancain held his hand and gently dragged him to the red-brick building.

Entering that main building, Slaine looked at the now-looking-normal marble floor as he walked. He remembered a time when he and Klancain were late; the entire building looked as if it was built from red fresh fleshes, pulsing veins and smokey white bones. The flesh and bones were just a mere background. The worst part was each student would see things they personally fear along the way to the classroom. Slaine didn't know what Klancain had seen but his brother would refuse to eat anything for the rest of the day. While for he himself...

A stabbing pain suddenly hit Slaine's crown. It was so painful that he grabbed onto one of the students' lockers at the corridor for support. The more he tried to recall what things he feared that he'd seen in that school building system were, the more pain attacked him.

But Slaine felt that those fearsome things were related to something important--something that had been defining his identity in this life time. So he tried hard to recall it. 

A blurry vision of half-human-half-plant corpses scattered around a blond kid came to his mind. But, it was just for a split second before ferocious pain clutched his head, lungs, stomach and heart that he had to fell on the floor.

What the hell?

"Rain? Don't force yourself. Just take it slow; remembering too much things at a short time could be painful it seems." Klancain worriedly held him, but Slaine moved away from his touch. 

"No...It's not like that...I try but...I can't remember...some things....and it's painful." The pale blond whispered almost inaudible; the pain had been multiplied; he felt his head would split over. He looked at Klancain with teary eyes, "Why? Yesterday too...Mr.Trill...I thought he said _lots of things_ to me...but in fact he didn't...it was....what's wrong with me?"

Inaho put his hands on Slaine's feet and back and before the pale blond could protest Inaho had lifted and carried him bridal-style. "Let's go to Arcanum city to meet my healer friend there." He then smoothly stepped along the corridor, toward the back door.

"Wh..what?!? Inazuka, why must we go to that city!? It's so damn far away! It'd be better if we go to Healer Yagarai's home near here." 

"Cain, it'll be more dangerous to keep coming to him after all of this."

"You...you do not trust him?"

"With Slaine being like this. Yes. Healing memory isn't my specialty, but I know that it shouldn't give paranoia imagery like what occurred in your house yesterday. And in addition, I highly doubt that selective-amnesia-medication would induce this kind of pain like what we have just seen happening."

"But last night Healer Yagarai said that whatever illusion Rain has seen that she has almost stabbed herself with a knife was the side-effect of the drugs fighting the memory coordinator's curse. Perhaps this time it was that case too? We...we should believe in him. Mom does."

"She does. I don't. What about you?" Inaho kicked the back door open and walked fast as steady as he could to the school back garden. It was like a mini-forest. He had planted a secret dimensional-gate to Arcanum deep there.

".....it's kinda suspicious I know, but I can't think of any reason why Healer Yagarai would drug Rain to make her kill herself..."

"We can think of that later, but for now we shall know whether this case was a malpractice or not. I don't want--"

"Put me down, Orange."

Inaho looked at Slaine: the pale blond eyes were unfocused and he was cold-sweating. The brunet then firmly replied, "No."

Slaine took a deep breath before saying again, desperately, "Put me down. Now...I don't want you…to carry me."

"In that case, I can't. I don't see you'll be able to walk on your own in the state you're in."

"Inazuka, perhaps she wants me to carry her instead?" Cain offered his hands.

"No....No! Just...leave me alone!" Slaine almost cried, the pain was so much and he started to hear annoying murmuring sounds that getting louder and louder for each second passing by. And he started to hate those two who converse in their own world without involving him at all; his memory was a mess; he didn't understand things happening inside _his own_ head, and the two decided to do this and that without giving him choice _nor even comprehendable explanation_. He's so pissed off.

"Don't be irrational." Inaho said in so Inaho way that Slaine really wanted to punch and kick him. But he couldn't; each time his head moved, even the slightest, he felt like to puke. And although vomiting on Inaho's warm shoulder sounded like a really good idea now he didn't want to do it. He grasped his pendant and buried his face on Inaho's shoulder. The brunet was so warm and his uniform smelled really good...

"You two! What are you doing to my Rain?" A girl with short pink hair shouted. She ran toward the two dumbstrucked boys from the storehouse at the back of the greenhouse in angry steps.

"It's...it's Rina! Uh oh how should we explain this situation to her?" Cain absent-mindedly held Rain's bag that he helped carrying tight in panic.

Inaho skeptically eyed the approaching girl, "What is she doing there at this early morning? She doesn't belong to plant-lover club."

"I don't know....but perhaps....Wait! That's not the point! Inazuka what should--"

"Cain, you intercept and hold her back here. I'll take Rain to Arcanum. I'm counting on you." With that Inaho entered the back garden.

"What?!?"

But Klancain's complaint was answered by a breezing wind as Inaho had entered the dense green and gone from his sight.

 

 

 

 

Slaine opened his eyes slowly. Somehow along the way he might have fallen asleep (or fainted?). Now he was staring blankly at Inaho's jaw, black eye patch and brownish hair. He sensed the breeze of cold humid air, and it was dim. He guessed they were walking through a big tunnel. The sound of Inaho's footsteps were echoing together with the rush of water. The mumbling sound that had been bothering Slaine before now was no more. The stabbing pain had also been lessened.

"Orange...where are we..?"

Inaho turned to look at him. Damn he shouldn't do that; now Slaine could feel the brunet's breath on his face and it made him felt... _strange_

"You're awake. How are you feeling?"

The pale blond swore he could see Inaho's lips twitch into a smile: a gentle one. It made the strange feeling inside his chest... _worsening_. Oh how he couldn't comprehend it so he really didn't like it! 

"Orange...answer my question.." Slaine quickly moved his face away from Inaho as he felt his face gradually became hotter. A mistake. Now he felt nauseated.

Inaho smirked inside and heaved a sigh, "We're inside the underground tunnel of Arcanum city."

"...can you put me down now? Or else I'd throw up on your uniform..."

As soon as the brunet did his request, Slaine coughed up things he just ate this morning into the blackened sewer water. It wasn't much. He wasn't used to how Ard's traditional recipe looks anyway.

Slaine looked at the thick polluted water coursing in front of him. It looked like the Arcanum city that Inaho and Klancain had mentioned earlier wasn't a nature-friendly place to live in. A corpse of thing--that appeared like an enormous rat fused with an oak tree-- was floating slowly there. The white rotten eyes of that thing emptily stared back at him. There were various colors of foam and pieces of unexplainable decayed things marching there too. They all were flowing to the darkness faraway. Slaine couldn't figure out the beginning or the end of this pit; the only source of light was a floating white orb that following obediently above Inaho and it's not bright enough.

What was life like up of this hopeless place? Was it equally grim too? Slaine didn't know that city called Arcanum; oh hell...he even didn't know how this current world faring was! He knew about magic in this universe now though--a little (thanks to the cooking session with Mrs.Krucht). 

Magic was about making things obeying your call of will. Normal people would not be able to do that unless they stated their command while using conductor (proper magical items) such as wands. But still...things he knew around magic were close to none and he hadn't tried to use magic at all. Could he really use magic? He carried a wand, but he felt defenseless. 

And he couldn't remember a thing of this world's war history although he got a feeling that it had affected his life so much. Mrs.Krutch, Mr.Trill, and Cain were all refusing to tell him about that, seeing his condition. He was curious, but he was also scared. Everytime he tried to search about that inside his mind, absolute dizziness would attack, forcing him to give up.

How could that be?

As if something was inside him, controlling his mind. But it seemed it's not 'as if', it was truth.

He felt washed-out, angry, and scared.

"...how are you feeling?" Inaho knelt beside Slaine. "Don't force yourself to remember things for now. It seems your body can't handle it."

Slaine refused to look back at the brunet, "...it's nothing...I'm fine." He then tried to stand up. It made him almost fell down joining the dark water as he couldn't balance himself properly. Lucky that Inaho was there to hold him up.

"You're lying." In a swift motion Inaho had carried Slaine bridal style again. "Stop your train of thought. Don't think about far-off things too much. Try to sleep. Although my friend's place is just a bit more, sleep will be good for you to calm your overworked nerves."

"...easy for you to say...." Really, if only Slaine could do just that his life would feel lighter; the pale blond knew that, but he couldn't. And he was really envious to Inaho 'cause the brunet could easily pick the efficient, clear step-by-step and practical things to fill his mind.

Slaine thought about this 'Healer friend', and 'Healer Yagarai'. Inaho didn't seem to trust the later. Slaine never saw that man--Yagarai had only ever visited when the pale blond was unconscious--so he couldn't decide yet whether to believe in him or not. And about this 'Healer friend'...could he believe in him? Inaho seemed to really have faith in that person...but...

Was Inaho to be trusted? Behind the seemingly-innocent poker face, that brunet had always have things hidden up his sleeves; that Slaine knew best.

"...is your friend...a good ally?" Slaine only voiced that question although there were lots of things he wished he could know; tired of the sum of pain he had been feeling this day.

"Rest assured. He is not our enemy."

….'Enemy'. 

Hearing that word reminded Slaine of what had happened on Tanegashima during their previous life. Inaho was on the Sleipnir and he was on the Skycarrier.

"...that time...you shot me..." Slaine mumbled, almost unheard, but Orange's left ear was right in front of his face so the brunet heard it alright. Inaho couldn't figure out what Slaine was saying right now though. He had shot the pale blond many times in the past. Which time that Slaine mentioned about now? 

"....you...shot me down...although I had helped you...you betray me...I hate you..."

Inaho walked faster; he concluded that Slaine was delirious and he's worried of the blond's health. He had to arrive to his friend's place soon. But he opted not to run as he knew it would make Slaine dizziness worsening.

"I believe in you...at the first sight...I've helped you...but...you shot me down...you're just using me back then...!" Slaine hit Inaho's chest--no damage at all. "What about now? Are you my enemy...?"

Inaho decided he'd better not saying anything; whatever he would say was going to be wrong in Slaine's point of view for now--he could sense the negativity in the air.

"Kaizuka Inaho...answer me...!" Slaine grasped the brunet's collar and shook it, with his right hand. Inaho had to restrain himself hard; he's being fully aware now of the pale blond's shaky breath on his neck and their upper body friction was.

"...it's not the right time..." Yes. Certainly. But the dim and closed and vacant place weren't helping.

"Why...? I hate you..." Slaine buried his face between Inaho's shoulder and neck, feeling badly queasy.

Inaho breathed hard, turning left, trying to focus. Then, he saw there was a stick figure charcoal drawing on the plastered floor. _'That's the sign. Good.'_

Inaho stopped right on the drawing and walked slowly entering the wall on its left. There was darkness for a moment, but after that a well-lit corridor was seen.

"Hang in there, we're almost arrived." Inaho half-ran to a small blue planet graffity he seen at the wall of the corridor. He could clearly confirm that now Slaine's lips were touching his sensitive skin. It sent 'electric shock' throughout the brunet's body. "Okisuke! Open it! Quick! It's emergency!"

The blue planet graffiti glowed dim, and then a sliding door was formed beside it. Inaho stepped in as it automatically opened for him.

A black haired man wearing white robe was standing in front of the two who had been in. A legless hospital bed was flying beside him. The room they're in didn't have any ornament: plain white and perfectly square. When the sliding door closed, the whole room slowly lifted up in a smooth motion.

"Nao, is she the girl whom you have been talking about to me yesterday? The one suffers from severe selective amnesia?" He helped Inaho to put Slaine onto the bed. 

"Yes. Would you please carefully check her?" Inaho looked at Slaine. She was staring at the healer; pain and fear were reflected in her eyes.

"Don't be afraid. He won't hurt you." Inaho tried to calm her, but the tone he had used still sounded emotioneless and mocking (to Slaine) instead.

Slaine looked at Inaho, then at Okisuke, and then at the surroundings. This closed space was moving up and he felt really uncomfortable due to that. He tried to get off of the bed, but Inaho effectively held his arms.

"Relax; I won't do anything dangerous to you. Nao would certainly mince me if I did." Okisuke put his palm on Slaine's forehead and mumbled something. The blue jade sewn on his finger-cut glove was glowing.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Okisuke Yamaya. Nice to meet you." The black hair man smiled. Now he was touching the vein on Slaine's neck. "Actually we have ever met before. But I guess it can't be helped that you forget. Ok. It's done; you can let her go now, Nao." 

Okisuke stepped aside and projected hologram desktop from the glowing jade. He concentrated reading the arrangement of symbol scrolling there. Slaine tried to look at it; some symbols were colored bright red and the healer's frown went deeper seeing it.

The room stopped moving. In an instant one side of the white wall was gone, showing a long white corridor. Inaho pushed the bed forward while Okisuke was still reading the flowing information. 

Could he believe in him? Slaine wanted to ask where that black hair man had met him before. But that healer seemed like he couldn't be disturbed. He appeared like a kind man, but look could be deceiving. And Slaine wasn't able to check whether that man had been lying or not; his memories were like a mess. He knew he had trouble inside his mind.

...He couldn't even trust his own memory now. 

What if the thing that'd been residing inside his body had made him believe that he was Slaine Troyard? Was he really Slaine Troyard? Or could it be that he was actually a different person entirely? 

Who was he then?

"Don't think about unnecessary stuffs too much."

Slaine looked up and meet Inaho's eye. The left was covered by black eye patch.

That eye...Slaine remembered that there was where he had shot Inaho when they met face to face for the first time during their previous life. What about now? Had he been the one who had shot the brunet's eye, again? Slaine couldn't recall anything about it, but somehow he felt it, that, yes, the brunet got magical item as his eye-replacement was because of him.

"...your eye...is that from where I shot you?"

Ah...this dialogue sounded familiar.

Yes. It was part of that meeting with the 'scrapped' forgotten part.

But Inaho just stared back at him. Slaine couldn't decipher what was there in that look.

"Orange...?"

The more he looked at the remaining burgundy eye, the more questions built in his mind. He had shot him, but the brunet had let his katahprakht burnt just to be a drogue chute for his Tharsis; instead of killing him, the owner of that red eye chose to risk his life all the way just to bring the pale blond safely from the Moon to the Earth, locked him up, and kept visiting him from time to time. Why?

They entered a room that looked like a typical hospital room, but the scenery behind the window was...not that good. Sunshine could only sneak its way through a few scarce openings of dark polluted purple and greenish cloud. The skyscrapers appeared like a mesh of built-up trash. Some of the buildings were clouded in dark mist. There were huge craters in various places.

"Is this...Arcanum city?" Slaine asked while Inaho moved him to the bed near the window.

"Yes."

"Why there were...craters? And those dark mist..."

"Those are the remnants of war. The dark mist is sign of the cursed area." Inaho put blankets up to the pale blond's chin.

Speaking about war, perhaps it's the right time to ask Inaho thoroughly about it. But before Slaine could utter a word, the healer came. He carried a strip of white pills and a glass of water, saying, "Help her up, Nao. She has to drink this." In a warmer tone he added to Slaine, "It's a pain killer, little girl. It will help you diminish the pain you feel right now. If you do not trust me, you can order Inaho to drink one just to prove that it's not poisonous."

Silence. Slaine had been positioned to properly drink medicine, but he didn't move to take the pills, skeptically looking at it.

Then, Inaho took one of the pills out, and put it in his mouth.

"Wait! I'm just kidding! Nao, don't drink it!"

Inaho took the glass too and sipped the water inside it.

"Nao, you may not drink it! If you're just fine but you insist on taking it, your touch and hearing senses will be numbed for 5 hours! You can't possibly work in such conditions!" The healer tried to stop Inaho from swallowing it. Seeing that, Slaine couldn't help but to smile. He felt that, yes, that healer was an honest man.

Slaine took the strip of the pills, but before he unraveled one, Inaho had pinned him down on the mattress and kissed him hard; forcing the diluted medicine to went down his throat.

Slaine was shocked, too shock that he could only stare at Inaho with wide eyes while the brunet was doing his deed. Not only the pale blond, Okisuke was so astonished that he struggled to form a word.

"Wh..wha...what...What are you doing to my patient?!?"

"Giving her her medicine." Inaho wiped the excess of water around Slaine's mouth.

"But! That! Nao! ................."

"We should not waste resources, should we? I shan't drink the medicine and have to spit it out; on the other hand, she has to drink it. There's nothing wrong with giving the medicine in my mouth to her."

"?!?......you and your reasoning...." Okisuke smacked his forehead and sighed. "Little girl, if you want to slap him, feel free, I won't defend him although he's my friend. Do you want me to lend you a hand?" He said to Slaine who was blushing _hard_. 

The pale blond couldn't believe Inaho had done _that_ to him with a super level poker face. Oh, it only meant one thing!

"You're fully intent to do that, aren't you?" Slaine angrily stated.

"Of course. I have to give you the medicine. Now, how are you feeling?"

It felt like butterflies--hundreds of them--tickling his entire body before finally flew out. But instead of saying those, Slaine punched Inaho on the left cheek as an answer. The blond didn't want to make sure of why he could feel that way--his face was too hot to think properly.

 

 

 

Inaho and Okisuke went to the furthest corner of that room, leaving Slaine--who utterly refused to look at Inaho--staring at the scenery outside the window. The two talked in whisper: didn't want the blond to hear their conversation accidentally.

"That pill was only a painkiller. It doesn't solve the real deal." Okisuke seemed worried. "It's the Forbidden Alm...."

"Yes. Healer Yagarai has told us that that cursed fruit is the main ingredient of memory coordinator that has poisoned her and caused selective amnesia."

"The...the main fear is...it's not just a memory coordinator. I can't believe that there is someone who can built it into nanoframework."

Inaho felt his heart stopped beating for a moment. Curses, like memory coordinator, could be healed by magic items, healing spells, or rites. But nanoframework had to be fought using other nanoframework that was made specifically to counter it. The cure had to be made; that, if it could be made. And nanoframework was like a super-small machine that could be controlled from a far to do some limited task.

Yagarai hadn't told him that. He just told him that Rain was suffering from selective amnesia due to the memory coordinator from Forbidden Alm essence. No more no less. He kept giving Rain drugs to help improve her memory, but in fact, in the end, it all wouldn't work. He never intended to cure her.

Slaine's memory had been being tried to be controlled from a far. 

His sanity now was at that person's mercy.

Inaho gritted his teeth; how dare Yagarai did that to Slaine! How dare that healer bertrayed the government. 

But he had to wait for his revenge to whoever who had plotted this. It's unthinkable that Yagarai could do it alone. If that bespectacled healer realized that he had known his tricks, Slaine would be in danger.

"We have to act as if everything moves according to Yagarai's plan." Inaho stated, "while we investigated who was the person behind his actions: is this his own agenda or there is someone--or a group of people--who make him do this. I'm afraid this move had something to do with Vers."

Okisuke nodded, "I'll report this to Mrs.Madgbaredge, let's wait for her thought about this. For now, just concentrate on your task of protecting the Gull. Don't worry about the nanoframework, I'll do my best to do something about it. Take care of her. She'll need you by her side." With that, Okisuke left that room.

Inaho walked back to Slaine. The blond was still refusing to look at him. So, Inaho just sat there and stared at the white long hair of the person in front of him.

If only Slaine turned and saw Inaho, he would be haunted by another question of why Orange would seem so lost and sad.

But that wasn't for long. Inaho got back to his expressionless self soon. It's no use to think over and over about depressing thought of possibly-bad-future. What necessary to think of was what act he should take to protect Slaine now; Inaho refused to fill his mind with useless thing.

....but enjoying the view of Slaine staring absentmindedly into the city view was not bad. No. It's enlightening. The city was not a good view, but adding Slaine inside the frame made the whole view softened and warm. People might think that what he was doing was a waste of time--observing without talking or doing a thing, but he didn't care. For Inaho, each of his doings that related to Slaine was never he classified as useless.

Looking at those silky white strands, Inaho remembered how he came across the pale blond's existance in Realta, 6 years ago. Inaho, who had been joining the war since 4 years before to help his father fight off the Vers invading Arcadia Confederation, got the task of _hacking_ into Tharsis System. And during that inisuating process, Inaho met Slaine....

That mission was commenced before dawn. Inaho was flying through the sea of data. It's not his real body--he was at the form of soul. His real body was sleeping between the radius of 10.000km--Tharsis Area of Operation--near the place where that System hid. UFR couldn't attack that System main body frontally as it could predict any future hostile act toward it and Vers empire. That's why Inaho had suggested them to do the hacking to mess up with the System first.

There, Inaho could see various symbol connected with thin light-wire forming flowing river or spider-web like formations. The view was beautiful, but scary at the same time. Inaho just stayed calm though. He had been used to it. He had hacked Aldnoah Relive Argyre System and conversed with its Core before, working together to break down the System from the inside. This time too will be no different. 

But for this mission he felt rush of anticipation.

It's Tharsis. The System that had helped Vers predict the upcoming attack 40 days prior, thus making Vers had absolute defense. 

High probability he would met Slaine Troyard.

He came from Inazuka clan. It meant he had the ability to see through people's past life, including his own, although that wasn't much. So it's not surprising that he had known Slaine ever since he was able to understand things at early age (he was a genius after all).

Slaine was someone whom he of the previous life, had thought about so much. Although their first encounter was rather inconvenient, and the first time they met face to face was to blow each other's head, there's no doubt that Inaho Kaizuka had been deeply interested in the human called Slaine Troyard. Inazuka Nao was not much different. By the time he knew that name, he was strongly attracted, and then he enjoyed reading through his past live stories that were related to that pale blond.

Someone, who had made a princess of the place where anything regarding the Earth was fully hated to love that blue planet.

Someone, whose acts were never ceased to amaze him, stirred the feeling of adoration which he hardly ever felt. When Inaho was being used to lure Saazbaum out to kill the later, he was almost killed too in the process, but still he looked up at Slaine Troyard: to devise such strategy which needed complete understanding of Inaho's way of thinking to make use of him in that plan. The brunet was left in awe.

...someone, who despite really taking Saazbaum as his father, still killed that man. How could he? What did he felt after that? What were his objections? Inaho couldn't decipher those mysteries Slaine threw at him. There were many possibilities of the answers, but none of it could be made sure as the real answer.

And there were still many things around the owner of those teal eyes that he couldn't comprehend. Inaho was the prisoner of Slaine's mystery forever. That pale blond was a _hard_ code to crack: the more answers resurfacing the more questions he wanted answer coming; 

...it's captivating.

And here he was, on the sea of data, hoping to meet his favorite mystery once again.

Not just hoping.

He **believed** he's going to meet him: Slaine Troyard was one who had activated Tharsis in the previous life--the Core of its Relive System must be him. And he would save that pale blond again just like when he took him away from the moon and securely kept him.

And it happened exactly just like what he'd calculated. There, encircled by rapid data movement which looked like hair made of light, he saw a soul that's calmingly bright and tender.

Inaho could sense it. 

The world felt bright, and warm, and no-doubt beautiful, as if everything's going to be just fine. It's that moment when your dream came true. It's that moment when you feel so impossibly blessed that you can never thank enough.

Inaho Kaizuka had met Slaine Troyard again. 

Such a miracle had occurred. As he believed, positive mind and hard work would bring miracles. If it's not, at least for as long as the work progress, that thought would give the doer some form of peace of mind, which was the main staple of good decisions. Positive mind set was not so bad choice of act. He couldn't comprehend why people not tend to do it.

Inaho wished for Slaine to live a peaceful life. He would work for it. He believed that he could make Slaine happy. That's the main priority of wishes that he had been working hard to fulfill--be it on the Earth, or in the Realta

As Slaine turned to face him, Inaho stopped his 'time-travelling', and put his focus on those mesmerizing teal eyes. 

"Kaizuka Inaho...how was the war in this city like?" The pale blond asked.

Inaho pointed at the big hole under a 24 floor concrete-mixed-with-black-iron-boxes building. "That was caused by Nilokeras System. And the blue stone dome next to it was the stone coffin to seal Hellas."

"Hellas? Count Femianne Hellas?"

"No. Its Aldnoah Relive version. Basically it's a huge magical system which was built from the Aldnoah Hellas Framework that had been excavated from the meteor which fell 941 years ago. That meteor was theorized to have come from our previous home planet."

"W..what about Tharsis?" He worriedly asked. Hearing Nilokeras and Hellas had been used; high chance that another Aldnoah from Mars katahprakht had been used too--including the Tharsis. "Was..was I connected to it? What is my role in the war?" _'Have I killed lots of people too in this life time?'_

Inaho just silently eyed Slaine, and then slowly he said, "Whatever I'm going to say, don't try to call to mind anything related to it. If you could comply with that I would tell you."

"...wh..what do you mean?"

"You are being poisoned. Apparently it brings you pain if you try to recollect...some things. I can't risk it."

Inaho was being difficult and Slaine didn't like it. "What's your business, Orange? It's important for me to remember my own past. I'm not afraid of pain! Just tell me!"

"No."

Slaine felt it's hard to breathe as his anger intensified for each silent second passed by. He grabbed Inaho's collar, "Tell me!" 

Inaho opened his mouth, but closed it again. Then he closed his eye. "Just punch me; I'm not afraid of pain."

Slaine felt like to cry. But instead of landing a blow to Inaho's face he pushed the brunet far from him and then stepped out of bed. If that wall-face was unwilling to help him, he would go out to see the remains of war to retrace his memory back by himself.

But before he was out of the bed, Inaho strongly held his shoulders. "Where are you going?"

"Let me go!"

"No."

"Kaizuka Inaho!" Slaine tried to release himself from the brunet's grasp, but it was futile. The hands that were stopping him from moving were strong, or was it he who had grown weaker? Slaine cried. He hated Inaho! He hated this messed up things called his memory. He hated being weak and vulnerable like this.

"Calm yourself--"

"Shut up, Orange!" Slaine tried to push Inaho away, but the brunet ended up hugged him tight instead.

"I can't stand seeing you in pain! Please, Slaine."

By those words, Slaine stopped fighting. But tears were still streaming down his face as he quietly sobbing. He was tired of all of this. "....why?" He whispered.

Inaho closed his eye. Love confession at this time? Absolutely unwise. So he opted to say another truth instead, although it wasn't the biggest reason to why he had been wanting to protect him. "Mrs. Krucht will fry me if you're in pain--if I've failed to save you."

The pale blond snorted, "Sounds like a wonderful show to me. I wanna see it."

"...please have a heart to me. She will indeed fry me, literally, as if I'm just another omelet for breakfast. Can't you figure out how scary it is?"

Silence for a moment. Slaine gripped Inaho's shirt and buried his face on the brunet's chest. "…what about me? Can't...can't you compute how scared I am? I don't know this world! I can't trust anyone as I can't trust even my self...and I don't believe in you!" Slaine meekly said, barely audible. He really hated Inaho!

"......" Inaho took a deep breath; he could point out that, if Slaine didn't believe in him, then it's useless to ask anything to him as the blond would never trust his answers. But he chose not to. The one in his arms was being overly emotional and he could help nothing by being too rational during this time. So Inaho tried his best to accept the concept of Slaine's fear for now without blaming or judging--which would make things worse. ".....is that so? I see..." He put his cheek on top of Slaine's head, confusing the blond to no end. "I'm sorry, Slaine. I'm sorry."

"?!?....Th..there were many things which you should sorry about, but I don't know which one you are apologizing for now. Stop it. It's creeping me out." Slaine struggled to free himself from Inaho. This time the brunet let him (albeit reluctantly, Slaine was so soft...)

"I understand. I'll explain about the war, and this world, and everything to you." Inaho blinked, "Now, what do you want to ask first?"

"....have I...was...am I..." Slaine remembered the dead mixed human and plant corpses he had recalled this morning. "Am I dangerous?"

"No."

"Then...who was that...? Inaho, I saw corpses...and a blonde kid...he dressed in red and black military uniform..." Slaine clutched his forehead as his head swam, forcing himself to recall that face. "I can't remember his face...Do you happen to know him? Who is he?"

Inaho turned dark, "stop remembering that person. Ask different question. Or else I'll stop cooperating in fulfilling your curiosity."

"But--"

"Stop remembering if it pains you!"

"…" Slaine stopped, and then looked down, clutching his pendant with both hands. His hands were slightly trembling. He bit his lips hard.

Inaho shooed his hatred toward the prince, putting up his best poker face, "Another question, please." 

"…what was my role...during the war?"

"As I have said before, you are harmless." _'the Vers were just using you.'_ Inaho bitterly thought.

Slaine sluggishly looked up, and look at Inaho in the eye. "Please just be honest to me.."

Inaho took a deep breath, and said. "You were the Core of Tharsis System by the time you're born into this world. Your ability together with that System was future predictions. You're used mainly for Vers defense support mechanism. I saved you from them at 935 A.M. That same year, you were taken in by the Krucht, given name as 'Rain'. That name was half taken from the placard of the tank where we found your body. You were hidden and protected from any-war-related things in the Ard village of Chamois Republic after that while the war was still raging on in Arcadia Confederation. This country was the stronghold to stop Vers invasion toward any other country on the continent of Paleo. Arcadia ended as the winning side of the war 2 years ago by the destruction of Vers Lunar base. The Vers nobility was considered wiped out at that time. Another questions?"

Slaine stared at Inaho with wide eyes, "I've been...what...?"

Inaho hugged Slaine protectively, "Please don't overly think about it. You may not believe in me. I don't mind that. But, please remember one thing: I'll protect you no matter what. Your life is precious. Please don't spend it by worrying too much."

Slaine was lost for words. He felt so awkward being in the brunet's embrace. And, gradually, as his fears lifted up, he could feel his face growing unbearably hot and he felt extremely lightheaded. "…wwwwwouldyoupleaseletmego?"

"Pardon? It's hard to understand what you're saying. Please speak more clearly." Inaho rubbed his cheek to Slaine's hair. It was so fluffy and soft...his act made the pale blond's brain too overload to think properly.

Luckily the door opened, and Okisuke came in. "Inazuka, what are you doing to my patient?!? I need to give her some test regarding to her memory condition! Let her go!"

 

 

 

 

 

Rina couldn't believe that Cain had let Inazuka carried Rain away just like that. And what with the excuse of 'Inazuka took Rain home because she felt sick'; such absolute bullshit--none would believe it! What if that cunning brunet took advantage of her Rain? Rina could see it every day during the school time that that flat sly uninteresting brunet had feeling to her most precious friend. Well, yes, his ability to express things was below normal, but Rina could sense it. 

Rina looked at the empty seat on the back corner near the window. Today she couldn't meet Rain again, just like yesterday and the day before. Cain told her that his sister was sick at those times. Okay then perhaps today she was really sick--not just Inazuka playing with reasons. Rina decided to visit Rain in Nina Krucht residence after school. She disliked Cain a bit actually but it couldn't be helped.

Suddenly she felt chill running down her spine. Someone was staring at her with bad intention; she could sense it. But who?

From the 2nd floor of his house, Healer Yagarai stared at Ivory Magic School. He could clearly see the Gull and the Fake Princess' classroom. Today the Tharsis Core wasn't going to school although he had seen her walking using uniform in the morning together with Cain and Inazuka. That brunet was suspiciously wasn't there too. Did Rain and Nao go somewhere _just the two of them_? Where and why?

......for a date? Possibly, but that couldn't be. Now was still during school hours. Rain was a diligent student, she would never miss school unless she really couldn't afford to go.

Or perhaps Inazuka carried her home because she felt sick? Had his 'memory coordinator' blocked 'unwanted' memories which caused her severe pain? If it's so, why Inazuka and Cain didn't bring her to him?

Didn't they believe in him? Or had they finally realized that he had been betraying them? 

Small beeping sound came from his glasses. He touched it and a short message could be seen from its left glass.

_Aldnoah Re:live Stygis System had been finished crafted. Take the Fake Princess._

"What about the Gull?" Yagarai asked, his words were automatically typed and sent.

_Focus your effort to take the Fake Princess first, my faithful fellow; Slaine is always mine. She will come back to me whenever I wish her to._

"As your command, my Prince."

With that, the line went off.

 

#to be continued#

 

\- Love, Betrayal and Wishes -  
[Are you my enemy?]  
[I don't care about what your classification of my existence is. I'll protect you and that's all to it.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter probably as long as this one...or it can be shorter...I don't know. At first I've tried to separate this chapter but I've failed. Chaos in my head just too absurd to tame...and the darkness of angst is really strong inside me that sometimes I just couldn't type it out, hugging the pillow, thinking where is the end of this A/Z hell.


	6. - Stay by My Side, Would You? -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a wish of a sinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing this is heavy...I try to cope by making A/Z light artwork **unrelated** to this story ('cause if it's related I'd still feel the angst). If you want to see it feel free to click ......... | yui-minatsuki [pixiv] http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium &illust_id=52182046  
> thank you very much if you're willing to sacrifice your precious time seeing my not-that-pro-like fanart  
> ...and....
> 
> Thank you very much for keep reading this story m_ _m

 

 

\- Stay by My Side, Would You? -  
[I need you, 'cause it is you]

 

 

Seiram Vers Illusia was smiling happily as he looked at steel, monstrous dolls lined in front of him; each were as big as four storey house. Each of them were crouching quietly in small golden caves arranged neatly like bee-hive. All 260 of them had unlimited power source as well as ammunition. Very suitable for battle.

All of those were part of Stygis System, one of the Aldnoah Re:live that Seiram had worked hard to build: he found its Aldnoah Framework by his own excavation on the fallen meteor one year ago. Despite the added difficulty of hiding from U.F.R he's succeeded in unveiling its ability and devised on how to use it well. The rest was industrious work from his plant-slaves: attaching steel and wires and flesh and bones to its shell. And Stygis System was finally completed now--just needed to install its core and it could be operated. 

He's satisfied with it, but still, Aldnoah Re:live System that he felt indeed worthy was his rebuilt Tharsis. For sure he wouldn't use it in war just like his father had done during the previous war before; he would use it to help his research.

He never liked it when his father use Slaine as a tool of defense in war. Whatever the reason he couldn't stand seeing that pale blond being caught within the mess of war. He had made Slaine suffer a great deal during his previous life; he wanted to redeem that mistake in this life time. But, his father never listened to his thought. That man only ever paid attention to what his grandfather's wishes.

Oh, but now, he, Seiram, was the head of this clan. He finally could do as he pleased.

Seiram had never agreed with his grandfather's ideal before. So now as the one in command of the remaining Vers, unlike his father, he made sure to never follow that grandfather's step who loved to wage war.

His grandfather had researched one kind of magical framework, labelled as Aldnoah, that were found in the part of the fallen meteor, since 865 A.M. Realizing its true potential as great weapon, he believed that he could end poverty which had engulfed Rouge kingdom by using Aldnoah as tools: beheading the dictatorship of Rouge absolute monarchy at 905 A.M and held the reign, making his start of Vers kingdom.

But Rogue islands had been a burnt, devastated land since the meteor fall which started the use of 'Anno Meteora' calendar, 941 years ago. Rouge--Vers was standing on its soil. It couldn't be helped that crops were hard to grow and natural curses were scattered on many places on this red soiled islands. Its conditions were so different with the fertile continent of Paleo where the other countries dwelled side by side.

Becoming the top-most of the man in command was not enough to end the poverty and the misery of the people. The dweller of this red islands were still suffering from the lack of resources in Vers.

So, by using Aldnoah as weapon _again_ , Vers planned to conquer another country to take its resources. They started with the country nearest to them, Uisce, the kingdom settled under the sea, in 910 A.M

Uisce asked U.F.R to help them, but as the later had been failed in helping Rouge, Uisce fell and became the colony of Vers in 920 A.M.

Vers took its resources. Yes, it eleminated hunger _in Vers_ ; what about the country that had its resources taken? Uisce was hit hard by the war. Its people was almost wiped out. Its culture was burnt down to ash. Uisce was beyond saving. 

To save Vers his grandfather had chosen to sacrifice the other nation. This value was followed greatly by his father. But Seiram didn't like that principle. His grandfather and father's way was unjust. It's unfair. It's egoist. They just justified their sins of massacring by using the devastated people of Vers as their reasoning; by doing so, how could they redeem? They didn't even have a heart to regret their actions of destroying country by country; they didn't stop at just Uisce; Vers continuing their in-the-name-of-Vers-survival military aggression toward the other country on the continent of Paleo. As the country situated on the shore, Arcadia confederation was targetted first. It had learnt a lot from Uisce's fall; they had defended better. (And they even won in the end)

Different from his father and grandfather who only cared about Vers, Seiram always thought of a way to save all humanity. He had some ideas about it. His father and grandfather had laughed at his dream, so he could do nothing but to continue his research silently and experiment on what was needed for his grand project in secret. He felt so lonely during those times.

Sometimes, when he could afford to do so, he took Slaine out of her core tank to play with her, or just to talk to her. Oh how he really enjoyed those moments. Slaine was sweet and the way her eyes twinkled everytime he read her stories was...priceless. There's endless joy in seeing the pale blond's smile happily. It's kinda difficult to get though; the staffs were treating her as a mere tool, just like his father and grandfather.

Seiram was the only one who could make her smile in this hellish Lunar base.

...that, until he did that mistake.

Feeling determined to end his loneliness, he showed Slaine what he had been researching, telling her what was his goal.

It went bad. Slaine didn't like it a bit.

...and Seiram was angry, he felt Slaine _had to_ agree with him. His ideas were perfect. She ought to support him.

...but instead she'd begged him to stop his attempt of reaching a peaceful future for all humanity at once. Why couldn't she understand? He tried to explain his ideal world over and over again, but it only made Slaine cried.

Untill the end he could never make Slaine to favor him. Not so long after that, Tharsis was hacked and that Inazuka Nao succeeded in making the pale blond helped him to sabotage the system. Slaine _had run away_ from him; Seiram was so angry; but he realized that he had done more or less the same thing in his past life as a Princess of Vers. He's angry, but he could never hate Slaine.

That's why for now, in order to get her back to him, his last resort was to use their past...he despised it actually; he truly hated his past as Asseylum Vers Allusia but he had no other choice: Slaine was blindly loyal to Asseylum and such loyalty was what he needed. 

He was so resolved in making Slaine to stay by his side, whatever it would cost. Hard works on erasing and controlling memory were just a small price to pay. So did his disgusting mirage show as the princess of Vers.

Seiram took a deep sigh. He missed Slaine so much. Back then, 6 years ago, his father had already truly hated his fancy on that Tharsis Core that, when she was stolen by U.F.R, that man didn't really intended on taking her back. Seiram couldn't do much during those time about it; his hold toward the other members of Vers clan wasn't as strong as his father's and grandfather's.

It was different now. He's got full support of his clan as they finally acknowledged his exquisite magical power and vast knowledge. And aside from the support of his clansmen, he also got loyalties from persons he had met in war who shared the same dream as him.

That's right: he wasn't alone in this road of dream about humanity's bright future! His ideals wasn't wrong! So, Slaine should have stayed beside him and helped him predicting the future steps needed for his research. When it's completed and his ideal world came true, she would see that he wasn't mistaken and then warmly smile at him just like before. He couldn't wait to see it.

Thinking about Slaine, he walked steadily to Aldnoah Re:live Mirage System chamber. He's not in hurry, but there's nothing wrong to pay a visit, right? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine held a ±16 cm long wand in his right hand tightly. It looked just like any ordinary polished branch of a tree; there's no intricate decoration or any sign that showed it was a wand. But it _was_ a wand; it's a branch of 720 years Fabiola Rose tree. Any part of that tree was the best magical conductor for healing spell or rites, but it's the worst in casting destructive spell and curses. 

He was in his room this night (or, to him, Rain's room.) In front of him was a broken porcelain plate. He intended to practice magic by 'healing' it. He wasn't alone: Cain and Inaho were right beside him. Slaine really couldn't comprehend of why they seemed to be constantly worried about him.

He was a bit afraid although Cain was giving him encouraging look, while Inaho's expression was as stoic as usual. Yes, he's afraid if he turned out to be indeed weak and needed protection from those two _unwanted companion_ there 24/7.

"Don't just stare at it. Flick it while stating what you wish. Fabiola branches could only function as magical conductor if you swing it." That brunet said. "If you want to sound cool you can say it in Syldarin phrase or something."

Hearing that, Slaine became more sullen. Was Inaho encouraging him? Or was he just mocking him? Or was that his poor attempt at joking? (what was Syldarin anyway??) Gritted his teeth he chose to just say 'be as new' in the heart while he was swinging the wand.

Not so long after, the split-into-three porcelain plate turned back into one piece and shining brightly. Slaine couldn't believe his sight; he really could do magic!

He swung the rose wood again, intending for the plate to be shattered into pieces.

It only cracked into two.

_'So unreliable...'_ Slaine was crestfallen. How could he defend himself well if his ability was like this?

"You'll need to practice more." 

_'Please, don't state the obvious, Orange!'_ Slaine gritted his teeth and swing the wand again. This time the plate was shattered into bits.

"Your magic is too affected by your emotion. It could be powerful, but it has shortcoming in term of stability and reliability. I suggest you to control your flow of thought so that you can get more hold on your emotion. It's essential."

Slaine snorted, "What do you know about me, Kaizuka Inaho?"

"The data I've been collecting about you up to now has nothing to do with your magic. What more important is what you think about yourself, Slaine Troyard."

Slaine closed his eyes in annoyance, "I think it's enough for today. I want to sleep." He moved to clean up the shattered pieces of the porcelain plate, but before he could collected it into a plastic container (he wanted to use it again for his magic practice tomorrow) that small mound of porcelain suddenly turned into an intricate and beautiful flower vase.

Slaine was ultimately distempered as he knew that it's Kaizuka Inaho who had done it. Moreover, the brunet gleefully put a red rose in it _as if it could make Slaine happy._ &%$#+! So much on his show off on the big difference in their magical power!

Cain looked at his sister's and Inazuka's expression and decided that he should do something or else Rain would throw the flower vase to the brunet's face. "It's...uh...well, I think we should put it here. It looked nice on the window sill; you can looked at it showered by the starlight. See? It's pretty. See you tomorrow then. Good night. Sleep well." He dragged Inazuka (whom expressionlessly waved his hand), got out of Rain's room and closed the door.

Slaine heaved a big tired sigh, and then went to the closet; Inaho and he didn't have enough time to change so he was still wearing the school uniform now. But, as he opened it he saw row of girly dresses and frilly pajamas. 

He speechlessly closed it and slumped on the wooden floor. This was reality, he knew it. But still, it's difficult to accept that now _he was a girl_.

He looked at the wooden orange-patterned box, heaved a sigh, and took out a white T-shirt. He changed into it and then went to sleep.

He couldn't sleep.

He's tired, really tired, but his mind kept thinking about what had happened today. Tossing around in bed, somehow he ended up staring at the red rose on the window sill.

Starlight fell on it, made it as if it glowed a little. Its colour was daring. Inaho gave it to him; did the brunet know its meaning? No. That couldn't be! Slaine couldn't even imagine Inaho as a sweet romantic type; that brunet was expressionless and boring and for sure annoying.

 

 

 

_'...I'll protect you no matter what...'_

 

 

 

Remembering those words uttered by that certain expressionless person, Slaine's face became so red. He then buried himself under the blanket although it was hot tonight. 

"Stupid! Stupid Kaizuka Inaho!" His frustrated whisper was muffled by the pillow. He really couldn't understand him at all. What's up with the red rose? Why did the brunet want to protect him? Why did he carry him all the way to Arcanum just to bring him to a trusted healer? Why didn't that powerful magician fight back when he kick or punch or treat him harshly? Why did he walk all the way through the prairie accompanying him and then give him his Japanese style lunch?

He was so confused that, forget sleeping, he felt like to cry. But he couldn't.

Kaizuka Inaho's absurd doings were not limited just in this life time; looking back when there were still Mars and Earth, he could never understand him. Slaine didn't remember all, but from what he had recollected, his moments together with the brunet were filled with un-explainable behavior of that wall-face.

Why did not that Sleipnir pilot let him fell to Earth, but hold his hand instead? 

Why did he save a sinner like him?

He's the enemy of Earth; he had led Mars to attack _their home planet._ He had failed everyone's dreams of peace and prosperous future. He was traitorous in many ways. Why should he be saved?

Being reborn, did it erase his sin?

Slaine clutched the sheet. He couldn't sleep. Not with this messed up mind of his.

He wished he could redeem.

....speaking about redemption, the ghost-like appearance of princess Asseylum had mentioned about it.

That mirage looked so much like princess Asseylum. But was it Princess Asseylum? Slaine didn't think so...Inaho had shot it mercilessly. Probably it was a threat. He _hated_ to admit it but, yeah, he knew almost nothing about magical world for the time being so he trusted Inaho for it.

Speaking about Princess Asseylum...did she reincarnate too in this era? 

 

 

 

_'...come to me and redeem your sin, Slaine Troyard.'_

 

 

 

He still remembered what the mirage had told him.

What was that mirage?

Slaine felt he should have asked Inaho or Klancain about it. But both of them might be sleeping for now, and he didn't want to disturb them. He had troubled them a lot.

Well, if he's unable to sleep, it'd be better to use this 'extra time' to practice magic. Slaine was about to get up when suddenly severe drowsiness engulfed him.

The next thing he saw was endless darkness. He couldn't move, nor he could speak. 

A sound of a door opened. Then, the next thing Slaine knew he was on a blue rose garden. It was a beautiful sunset; the sky was filled with colors. There was wind; it played with his long pale hair; Slaine held his hair which obscure his view as reflex; he realize then that he could move. 

Slaine walked through the beds of roses. Was it dream? It's been a long time he hadn't seen one...he hardly could distinguish it from reality now. It was warm, and he could hear the rutlings of the leaves.

Not so long, he found a white marble gazebo at the centre of the maze of roses. Brown and blue books were put on a white glass table there. Curious, he went there to see those books.

They were books about various birds and plants on Earth. Slaine sat on the black iron chair near the table and read one of the books.

When he had finished one entitled "Flowers and What they Symbolize" he looked up and saw that Asseylum Verd Allusia was there, sitting at the opposite end, smiling softly at him.

"Pr...princess Asseylum?!?!

"Slaine." The golden haired princess beamed, "you looked well. I'm glad."

"Ah...please forgive my rudeness, Princess." Slaine was about to get up and bow, but Asseylum held his hand, keeping him sat down on the chair. Slaine looked at those hands. He felt there's something wrong, but he couldn't really figure it out why. Ah, right. This 'Asseylum' in 'dream' could be a dangerous thing just like that mirage. He could never know...

He didn't dare to look up at Asseylum's face again.

"Slaine, please tell me things about birds, animals that fly through the air."

The pale blond was being quiet for a while. This dream felt eerily real. Why was this happening now? He kept his eyes locked on the books at the glass table.

"Slaine? Please, tell me many things about the birds." Asseylum took a book which contained pictures of birds and opened it, showing one of the picture there in front of Slaine. "Tell me, what is this bird?"

Slaine only looked at the picture; it was a picture of penguins.

"It's...they are penguins. They...they live in the...arctics." Slaine started to tremble; something was definitely off. Did he feel afraid? Why should he? It's _Princess Asseylum_ , but somehow he couldn't separate the image of the blonde kid in black red military outfit with this Princess. "They...hunt on fish...th...they can't f...fly but..but they can swim."

"Oh...what pitiful little birds..." Asseylum sadly said with her soft voice, but Slaine couldn't shake the fear and didn't dare to look up.

He tried to talk to calm himself. "No...Princess...the poor one are...the birds which can fly...but they couldn't as they are being put in a cage."

Asseylum tilted her head, "Why? I don't think of it as something bad. Yes, they lose their freedom, but they do get protection and care from the owner."

Slaine frowned, "But they...can't fly in the blue sky again..." 

With an innocent tune the Princess said, "It's a small price to pay compare to the danger that that sky gives. Birds are safer in cages. The poor ones are they who have wings, but are created not to fly. Why would they were given wings then? They were imperfectly crafted. We need to fix them, giving them wings which could fly."

"I..I apologize greatly, your majesty, but...but that is not needed. They're fine although they can't fly...it's their nature--"

"Then it's the nature that is at fault! Why aren't they created being able to fly too? God is unfair, and He doesn't care; why does He let things happen that way? We shall fix it."

"?!? P..princess?" Slaine was so astonished that he look up at Asseylum'a face. Her pretty face was filled with determination; somehow he felt terrified seeing it, so he stared back at his hands. 

"Why? It seems you're afraid of me." Seiram grabbed Slaine's hands. Those hands were cold and trembling. Why? He didn't like it. He had been using the image of her dear friend Asseylum, why would she still fear him? 

"Please don't fear me...I want you to stay beside me...Slaine..."

No answer. Slaine kept refusing to see him and Seiram started to be impatient. 

"I want you to redeem your sin." He said with the absoluteness of Asseylum's voice and image; this was his trump card.

Hearing that, the pale blond getting back to look into his eyes. It made Seiram more confident in using this call of 'guilt'.

"I haven't forgive you for what you have done as Slaine Saazbaum Troyard. But, if you stay with me, you can save people far more than the total of corpses left behind in war that were caused by you. Then, I will grant you forgiveness." 

Seiram cringed internally on what an ultimate liar he had been; he knew that he, since he were Asseylum, had forgiven Slaine long long ago; that's why that princess of Vers had asked Inaho to save the pale blond. But the Prince had no other choice. He couldn't understand why Slaine seemed too afraid to serve 'Asseylum' this time. So if he had to corner her to gain her cooperation, he would do it.

He dragged Slaine's hands closer and tenderly kissed them. "Please stand by me."

Seiram needed him for his redemption.

Slaine was quiet. She didn't dare to say anything. She didn't dare to release her hands from Asseylum's hold too. They were like that for a long time until Asseylum smiled sadly and let go of her hands. Then, the scenery went blur and melted into light.

It was still night. Slaine blinked and looked around. He was on his room at Krucht residence. The light only came from the stars.

He saw the window sill and the vase and the red rose on it bathed in the tenderness of pale light. The red complexion of that rose made her remember Inaho's remaining right eye.

A single tear running down her cheek, followed by the others.

 

And soon she was quietly crying with the pillow muffled her voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was before dawn.

Slaine walked slowly to the neighboring house built from grey stones. The fence was made of stones too, but it wasn't tall so that the two storey house was still seen clearly. The garden was plain and boring; only grass that was cut too neatly. But the house was interesting: grapes vines were covering here and there.

It was Inazuka's residence.

Slaine took a deep breath and then weakly climbed the stone fence, getting in to the garden. Seeing the greenish and grayish Inaho's house he felt like he was a lost sheep, forced himself to dress up in a wolf's clothing to enter a den of a wolf in a sheep's clothing.

But he needed to talk to him, privately. He even didn't tell Cain, Mrs. Krucht, or Mr.Trill about it; he secretly went down from the window. He couldn't risk Mrs.Krucht to know about it as she certainly would disagree and then he would not be able to do a thing about it.

Slaine was about to climb to a window at the second floor (as he remembered it was Inaho's room), but then the person he wished to meet was going out from the back door.

"Coming so early in the morning, do you miss me that much, Slaine Troyard?"

"Shut up, Kaizuka Inaho. I need to talk." Slaine never knew why the brunet always made him feel annoyed, whatever he said or he did.

"... Come in then." Inaho opened the wooden back door, gesturing for Slaine to follow him.

Inaho lit the lamp. His kitchen was clean, and it looked a lot more 'normal' than Mrs.Krucht's cooking place. But the refrigerator was huge and it was protected like a vault with password code. And there was a TV-sized screen. Slaine couldn't read that it was showing today's menu, how to cook it, and its nutritional value.

"Sit, wherever you like." Inaho took two glasses and a pitcher of milk from the refrigerator. He put the pitcher for a moment in a shining transparent tank (it's a warmer). Slaine took a seat at the root of the wooden--and still growing leaves--dining table.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Inaho asked after he sat on the root opposite to Slaine. He poured the warm milk on the glass and let the branch of the dining table carried it to Slaine.

"...." The pale blond opened his mouth, but then closed it again. He looked troubled. Inaho waited patiently, filling his own glasses with drink.

"I want to meet with the Prince."

Inaho put the jug to the table _hard_. It was so hard that the dining table complained. Slaine didn't dare to look at Inaho's face.

"Explain yourself." It was cold, _absolutely cold_ monotonous voice.

Slaine grabbed his pendant to look for comfort. "He...he's scary, but....I need to talk to him...I..I think...I understand it now...why he did what he did. ...I wish....I...I think I could...stop him...."

Inaho took a sharp deep breath, "You've remembered about him...how come? Slaine Troyard! What have you done!? Don't tell me..." he hit the wood again, gaining another complain. 

"...How much pain killers do you have left?" Inaho said after he had calmed his breath.

Only silence. Inaho covered his face with his right hand, stating in a low voice his conclusion. "You've _used all the painkillers in forcing yourself to remember_ about Prince Seiram Vers Illusia. Why? I don't understand you...You're always like this, tormenting your own self for improper goal...Why?"

"That harsh...I need to learn the truth, no matter how painful it is." Slaine answered in whisper. He dearly hoped Inaho would never know that he had bleed from eyes, nose and ears furiously after he'd done that and up to now his eyesight was a bit troubled--a lot less than before though; that brunet would be mad at him, for sure. And if Inaho told his family about what he had done....Slaine didn't even dare to imagine their reactions.

Inaho stood abruptly, "We need to go to my friend's place again."

"No, Inaho, please--"

"You have no right to complain. Come." The brunet moved to carry Slaine bridal-style again. 

"N..no...stop it! Don't--"

"Have you told Cain or Mrs.Krucht or Mr.Trill about it?" Inaho easily scooped him and then ran to the basement of his house.

"Seriously have you ever tried to listen to what other people said!? No. And don't tell them about it! They won't allow--"

"And do you think I would help you to meet the most dangerous person in this entire planet ? Not a chance. What do you think I am? I am not that dumb to agree with you."

".....but...but..." Slaine almost cried. He felt so disappointed with Inaho; he had trusted him enough to share his troubled thought. He felt Inaho would understand what he wanted to do and helped him--that smart brunet would certainly be able to bridge him and the Prince for sure. But that emotionless young man was as heartless as ever. "Stupid Orange!"

"I am not. Proof: I'm carrying you to a healer now and for sure I'll inform your family about it when I got the chance."

Slaine tears was going down albeit his effort not to spill it. "Stupid! Dumb! Heartless Orange!"

Inaho heaved a big sigh. He had made a mistake of being too emotional in dealing with Slaine; if only he just kept quiet and said nothing the pale blond wouldn't be crying and hitting him like now. 

Arriving at Okisuke's place, after examining Slaine just like their previous meeting, that healer quickly brought her to emergency room with dark look. It was so grim that Slaine could only nod when that healer said he would need to give her full-body anasthetic.

Slaine was put on a glass--coffin like bed in a room filled with various tubes and machine. The healer closed the glass lid, then worked with the grey-colored machine in the corner. She could no longer hear anything outside of this 'coffin', but she could see that Kaizuka Inaho was still standing beside her bed, looking at her with expression she could not decipher. He reached his hand and touched the glass lid--as if wanting to hold her hand if only he could.

The anesthetic gas was released and the pale blond felt drowsy. At that state she thought again about what she had done and, yeah, she realized she was stupid for wishing Inaho to easily grasp why she had wanted to meet the Prince to talk; if only she hadn't remembered her past as Slaine Saazbaum Troyard, she would also never be able to feel empathy for Prince Seiram.

It would be difficult for Inaho to understand. Slaine was sure he'd never experienced failure for as long as he live, unlike the Prince, or her. She should have had more patience in trying to explain it to the stoic brunet.

She and the Prince had done great massive failures in their past lives.

They just wished to be forgiven.

Slaine raised her hand to meet Inaho's. They were separated by the glass, but she could swear she felt his warmth.

 

 

Oh, how she wished for him to understand.

 

 

 

\- to be continued -

[I need you, 'cause it is you]  
[Please understand me]

 

 

Stay by my side, would you?


	7. - A Sinner's Ward -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> to understand is to give yourself in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My rabbits have scabies...please pray for their health T.T I have just buried a cat and two fish and I don't want to bury pet again...
> 
>    
> and I'm sorry for the wait and for my inability to exactly saying when the next update will be. Life is unpredictable, I don't know what it has for me tomorrow, and moreover in writing this story I have to deal with my chaotic mind which go around in A/Z darkness like a mad roller coaster--it's fun, but I have to prepare my heart for it. All I can say is I love writing this fic and I strive for it to be delivered completely into this world.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you very much for keep reading this story m_ _m

\- A Sinner's Ward -  
[How much is the cost of repentance?]

 

Seiram grabbed a handfull of blue roses at his artificial indoor garden, tore their petals and threw them on the too-afraid-to-sway grass. He took the sunflowers and did the same thing. He also punched the flying orb next to it until it shattered into pieces.

He never thought that Slaine would be _so reluctant_ to work for _Asseylum Vers Allusia_

Why? And why did she seem to distrust Asseylum? He was so disappointed. Furthermore, he got the report that his nanoframework dwelled in Slaine was fighting to break memories haphazardly. How could that happen? Had the Protectors already known that Slaine memories were under his control, that's why they were fighting it? If they already known about this memory control of nanoframework then to whom was Yagarai real devotion had been out in the open now. 

Seiram couldn't risk it. He had to evacuate Yagarai soon and made him working at this invicible flying castle instead. His job of taking the Fake Princess without anyone noticing had been completed; that Stygis System Core had been secured inside her room in this castle.

Then, it crossed his mind; who the Fake Princess was in her past life.

He could use this to make Slaine willingly stay by his side. He could do it by force, but no, he wanted to be gentle to Slaine. He didn't want that pale blond to hate him.

Seiram calmly smiled, and walked out of that place, leaving the crying sunflowers and the bleeding roses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho turned away from Okisuke and from the holographic dekstop at the corner of that white emergency room. He walked to where Slaine had been lying in heavy steps. 

"I'm sorry, Inaho. If only I could do something about the nanoframework she wouldn't...." 

"It's not your fault." Inaho took a deep breath as he was looking at Slaine who was sleeping inside the glass coffin-like bed; she was covered in sweat. The glass lid was illuminated by myriad of lights that doing the treatment on the pale blond's injured nerves and veins. 

"Does the anesthetic work? She looks in pain." 

Hearing that, Okisuke moved to the glass-bed side and observed. "Don't worry, it works. It's just...you know…the nanoframework was going on rampage to break her memory system while these lights tried to cure it. The process is physically straining her. You said that after she had fought the nanoframework she still managed to walk into your house. That's unbelievable; I wonder how she could do so."

"...she has unnerving determination, and her healing magic exceeds mine....but it's not enough for this matter."

"True. Nanoframeworks can only be fought by ones that are made to counter them. We could make that, actually, but we still need time. So now, in this case, as she has turned them to rage like this..." Okisuke hated to say his next words as he knew it would make Inaho sad. 

"It would be best for her to stay with the Prince, as he was the one who has made the nanoframework he could treat her better." The brunet bitterly said. "But, that's the last option."

Silence. The only sound was the beeping sound of the machine which indicated Slaine's heart rhythm.

"Okisuke, is there a possibility that she will forget the crazy plan she has thought of this morning?"

"Crazy plan? Ah, that she wants to talk with the Prince? I don't know...we're talking about feelings here...it's not something that we can predict 100%. We could only guess."

"… If she forgets everything about Seiram Vers Illusia, she would not have that kind of wish, I presume. Do you think we could erase that part of her memories? Oh, Wait…on a second thought, no. If she forces herself to remember again it will be horrible." Inaho grimly said, looking at Slaine’s face, her mouth was opened a bit. He touched the glass lid above it. "I still can't comprehend why she has insisted to remember. What has made her suddenly gained the resolution to do so? If only I could identify and eliminate that factor I would say that it is better if we erase the Prince's recording on her, entirely."

"Inaho, we're talking about _human feelings_ here. I can't say that her opinion about that will be the same with what's in your mind. Do you think she would accept such a treatment?"

"She has to, willing or not. She'll be safer and live nicer by doing so."

Okisuke heaved a big tired sigh, "…I bet she hates you so much."

"............She does. How could you reach that conclusion?"

"It's obvious; the way you treat her is horrible."

Saying that, Okisuke got a menacing look but he still calmly continued. "You do things your way regardless of what she actually wishes; refusing to listen. It's like treating her as a mere object."

"It can't be helped. She can be outstandingly idiot, particularly about her own safety."

"...that...I can't argue. Yeah, what she has just done is destructive to her cranial nerves and stressed her internal organs. Really, does she ever think about its consequences on her own body? But still...respect her as a person, Inaho. She has right to voice her opinions."

"Respect her? I've been respecting her more than she respects herself. I bet she never even think about the damage she would take, believing that she's worthless. So, she thinks, it's just fine to destroy herself. What a twisted belief." Inaho looked at Slaine's face, thinking of how come she had built that self-destructive thought. What had had made her like that?

Caressing the glass lid above the pale blond's hair tenderly, he then realized that he had made a mistake. When Slaine were talking to him, he was not patiently listening to her; it could have made the blond internalize even more that she was worthless; that her opinions were never mattered; that he would never listen to her as she was too stupid to have any reasonable argument.

...all which was untrue. 

Inaho _never intended_ to belittle Slaine. 

Then, that meant, the next time Slaine was awake, Inaho would make sure he would listen attentively and try to understand her better. Inaho didn't want to hurt Slaine in any way. But, unfortunately, it seemed that he had talent in doing exactly the opposite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nina was upset. 

No. That was an understatement. She's devastated, angry, sad, worried, and confused beyond what just a mere word able to describe. All those because of what her daughter had done to herself; Nina had been being told about everything. 

Inaho looked at her face on the screen patiently, waiting for her reply to his question: 'Slaine wants to meet the Prince, will you allow her to do so?'

"Like hell I will let her go! Such a terrible request....I need to talk to her! Where is she?"

"She is sleeping right now. The burden of fighting against those nanoframeworks is eating her away. Yet, she's still opposing them, preserving her 'newly acquired memory' at any cost."

"…we shall erase it. Slaine is a part of Krucht house now; we shall live for the present and let go of the past."

Inaho was quiet for a moment. That was he had been thinking about recently, but...."Mrs. Krucht, will it be possible for Slaine to let go of her past while she was still having things she wants to settle that is inseparable from it?" Inaho looked down, continuing softly, "she's stubborn. She's the most stubborn girl I've ever met. I don't think merely lost of memories will force her to give up."

That Nina Krucht knew it all too well too. But, as a mother she never wanted to see her daughter to suffer. So, NO. Whatever and however it would be.

"I'll go there and talk to her. She has to listen to me!" With that the communicator went off.

Inaho leant against the white wall, and then slumped down.

He wanted Slaine to be happy.

But how? Where did her happiness lay? 

At this moment, for what he had concluded, her happiness laid within the boundary of her past life as she desperately clung to it. If he wanted to see her smile he had to get in and bathed along with that past too.

Inaho stood up and went to the emergency room in determined steps. He had to talk to Slaine about it; if she hadn't waken up yet he would do it through dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine opened her eyes and saw a blue bright sky. She hastily stood up and observed her surroundings. She was on a beach. The sound of waves was calming. Seagulls were flying leisurely above her head.

Was it dream? Was it reality? She should had been inside that glass-coffin-like bed at the emergency room, but now she could feel the wind was playing with her hair, and the white sand was soft under the soles of her feet. She was wearing her school uniform, but without stockings or shoes.

And there was Inaho right beside her, sitting cross-legged; he blankly stared at her.

He blinked once, and then tilted his head, "Your sleep doesn't contain any dream, so I dragged you to my dream instead." Inaho said with his monotonous tone, "Sit. I need to talk."

Slaine looked at the warm beach landscape and then sat beside Inaho, "I never thought you can dream of beautiful scenery like this." She said nonchalantly.

"…..what do you think I would dream of...?

"Fighting in Kataprahkt, maintaining some machines, working on some Physics problems, grayish landscape."

"....am I that dull to you?"

"..............I thought so."

Inaho smiled, "then you're getting to know me better. I'm glad."

This was a dream world, but Slaine felt her head heated up. She turned her face away from Inaho. She wanted to retort with something that denied the brunet's words, but she failed to find any word.

They didn't talk for a while. It was...kind of peaceful though. Slaine never thought that being beside the boring Inaho would be this serene. Little did she know that it was due to the brunet wanted to let her enjoy the scenery as she seemed to like it.

The only sound was the rushes of the waves, and the wind. It was a bright day. The blue sky stretched to the horizon with white clouds adorning it. The cry of the seagulls was heard above her. Slaine looked at them flying high and free. 

Then she remembered that she ever saw it through the bars of the ward in her past life.

...'past life'....It didn't feel that far though. For her, it felt just like yesterday she was waiting for her death sentence inside a cell in a meaningless life.

She was Slaine Troyard. 

And she's still Slaine Saazbaum Troyard.

At once, the scenery changed. The sand gradually went up and formed brick walls, as well as iron bars. Inaho look at the forming of a jail aisle and the changed of Slaine's outfit with a sad eye. 

Slaine was wearing a bluish prisoner garb now, with her hands being shackled. She was smiling with tears threatening to fall at the corner of her eyes.

"….I'm...I'm sorry, I ruined your dream; but this is what I deserve." She hid her face on her knees. A clanking sound of chains was heard, louder than the cry of the seagulls.

Inaho stared at her, expression and tone as flat as he's able to, "Why do you think so? You have been reborn. You have been zero. You have a new start, a new life now. Don't you think that it means your previous sin has been cleansed?"

A deep shaky breath. With almost inaudible voice, Slaine muttered, "…I don't...think...so..."

"Why?"

No answer. The sound of waves and wind was no longer could be heard. Just the cry of the seagulls far, far away that it looked definitely unreachable from this dull and cold place. Slaine was weeping, quietly.

Inaho moved closer and lightly touched Slaine's shoulder. Seeing the pale blond didn't protest, he gently hugged her from behind.

"Then I'll join you."

"??? H..huh? What--?" Slaine stared wide-eyed at Inaho's face next to her left cheek; he looked absolutely serious.

"If your feelings are still confined inside this prison's wall, I'll stay with you here."

Slaine was too baffled that she was unable to utter a word. Why? Why would Kaizuka Inaho be willing to stay with her? She was Slaine Troyard and he was Kaizuka Inaho. They were two entirely different individuals. He wasn't part of her family and she couldn't think of him as a friend. Wait. So what was he to her?

...and what was her to him? Well...the last utterance she remembered was Kaizuka Inaho, while he was shooting her at the moonbase dock, spewing something like 'you were enemy all a long'.... Yeah. Now might be no different. An enemy, as in the story where Inaho was the bright marvelous hero, she was the dark cruel antagonist of the show. So, why would he wish to keep her company? 

"I don't understand you...I could never..." She softly mumbled, turning away from that deep burgundy eye.

"Not need to understand." Inaho smiled, tenderly. Whenever he was with Slaine, he always felt at peace. "Likewise, it's hard for me to comprehend you." His smile faltered, "...and due to that I've unintentionally hurt you many times. Would you forgive me?"

"What?!?…dream...this is indeed just a dream... Kaizuka Inaho is being human and apologizing to me....What a weird dream." But Slaine could not hate the fact that Inaho was so warm now...so unlike the grayish and cold place they were in right at the moment.

"I'm always human. Both in the past and in this present I'm only human. What do you think I am?"

"You? A robot. Definitely. With expression as bare as yours I won't be surprised if you were actually powered by electricity and you have platinum structures instead of bones.…if there was a story where you were presented as an android I would give a standing applause to its writer as he has depicted you right."

".......do you wish for me to have myriad of expressions just like you?"

"Don't! That would be...no! I can't even imagine it. Just stay as you are..."

"Hm..." Inaho put his cheek on Slaine's hair. "...you're so warm..."

 _'What? No...it is you...'_ but Slaine couldn't say it out loud somehow: her mind was overloaded, "Uh...uuuuhm you've said you wanted to talk. What is that?"

Inaho heaved a sigh, and reluctantly said, "it's about your wish to speak with prince Seiram."

"Oh...um...are you...willing to help me about that now?"

"It depends. I still think that there's no point in communicating using words with him. Explain why you would think that it is possible."

"He is..." Slaine carefully chose her words. "He has been trying to change human into plant this long time, believing that it is the best way for humanity's peaceful and prosper future. He never intends to hurt people. He's just...taking a wrong road. If we could convince him about that, he would take a different path for sure. He's still the kind princess we both once knew..."

"Then, shall I remind you that half of Uisce population had been turned into seaweed just like that? Can you still say that it was an act of kindness?"

Slaine gasped. She didn't know about that. What she remembered was a part of her early childhood when Seiram showed her his research.

She saw it when he, with an innocent smile, took people out from a dark cell, put them one by one inside a complex magical diagram and changed them into many kinds of plant. It was a horrible sight; how flesh and bones cracked and bit by bit transformed into roots and leaves. And Slaine could never forget the dreadful expression of a woman whom was only half-body-transformed into a sunflower and then died in the end. It's graven in her heart forever that Seiram Vers Illusia was someone to be feared.

But, even so...

"He...he didn't mean it..."

Inaho forced himself _hard_ to be patient..to not saying anything...How could she still think so? Did she harbor some _feelings_ to that heartless prince? Patience....all he needed is patience....He had to wait for Slaine to finish her words.

"He thinks that humanity will be better that way: everyone lives peacefully side by side. There'll be no war...or sorrow..."

"As--a--plant. Well, he's haphazardly forcing his idealism to other people then. Do you think you can beat some sense to such a person?"

"I...I can try...I can relate to him...he and I can understand each other....I think... Our communication would not be one-sided...hopefully."

Inaho huffed and hugged Slaine tighter. "Do you realize how much risk you have to take in order to do that 'trying'?"

"I....I do..."

"No. You don't. What if he becomes so angry at you that he changes you into a water lily? What do you think your family would feel if it happened?" _'What do you think I would feel if I lost you?'_

"But...but, if I don't do that… who will understand him?"

Inaho released his hug and then grabbed Slaine's shoulders, forcing her to look at him in the eye.

"You think you could understand, could you? Then, why don't you try to understand me first? Can you? What am I thinking right now? Come on, try it."

"I....I...." Slaine couldn't escape that burgundy eye. At a glance his expression didn't reveal anything, but she could conclude that Inaho was angry through the tightness of his grips on her shoulders. No. He wasn't just 'angry'; he was mad. His lower eye line was a bit raised, his eye was sharpened, and the way he tightly closed his lips made her think so.

"....I...I don't understand...why are you so angry?" Slaine couldn't bear the sight of Inaho's eyepatch and turned her face away from it. "I'm...I'm the one who has made you lost your left eye...I'm the one who have killed your comrades. I've tried to kill you numerous times! Why do you care about my well-being that much? Just let me go to talk to him; even if....even if I die at least I die trying to save humanity--not to conquer the Earth just like before!" 

Inaho audibly gasped, and then said, out loud. "Just what kind of fatuity you're babbling now, Slaine Troyard?!? Are you actually just looking for a way to a permissible death?"

 

 

Silence.

 

 

A single tear fell from Slaine's wide, scared eyes, followed by another, that finally flowed like streams. Slaine released herself from Inaho's grasp, sobbing uncontrollably. She shifted further away from the brunet and out of nowhere a row of iron bars stood tall between them.

Slaine was weeping, there, on the stone floor. Inaho touched the bars in front of him. That black things slowly dissipated. He carefully moved forward..

He abruptly stopped as more rows of iron bars appeared, wildly sealing the pale blond away from him. "No! Stay away from me!" Slaine screamed, "Kaizuka Inaho, you belong to a place with a bright blue sky. Not inside this prison of guilt! Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Slaine--"

"GO AWAY!"

With that, hundreds of iron bars and bricks emerged from the floor, forcing Inaho to leap back, further and further away from Slaine. Soon, the pale blond was no longer seen, hidden beneath layers of greyish brick stones and black iron bars.

Inaho could not believe what he just saw; he couldn't comprehend it...why? How could it turned out to be like this? What had he done wrong? He touched and dismissed the iron bars and the stone bricks one by one, thinking about it over and over again. 

She looked scared....Perhaps he should not speak that loud? Or was it because the content of his speech? Or perhaps it's just another misunderstanding? At time like this he didn't like how he had to work _hard_ to decode this other _mystery_ Slaine had just thrown at him; she's really difficult to understand...but still...

He couldn't leave her alone. Not like this. It's obvious that she _wasn't alright_ at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's dark; the thick, crisscrossing bars and bricks above and around her were blocking any light.

Slaine was lying there still, in fetal position, tired of crying. Although this was a dream, the cold floor and the shackles and her tear-stained cheeks felt absolutely real. The difference was, in reality, she could just sleep and stop thinking about everything altogether. But in this dreamworld, where could she run away? She knew exactly why she couldn't wake up for this moment (and didn't know for how long): anasthetic works.

It's quiet; she didn't know how long time had passed. But she knew that the more time went by the more she regretted what she had just done.

Slaine realized she shouldn't turn Inaho away like that. He had been really kind to her: keeping her company all this time...protecting her...helping her...

But, no, he shouldn't do that. He should stop doing that. It would be just a waste of his kindness--of his precious time. He should have used it for others, not for someone like her.

Not for a sinner like her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...but Inaho was warm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was annoying, he had boring robot-like expression, he was insensitive, he was _insufferable_...

...but he was warm, and she liked it.

Slaine cried, again, softly, as she knew no matter how much she wished to be with him, it was an impossible dream.

That's right. Kaizuka Inaho belonged to a place filled with light. He was brilliant. He was reliable. He had every quality that a hero would have. He should not accompany her walking through the bleak road of redemption--which who knew for how long. Besides, why would he do so? 

Some lights suddenly came in; she had to close her eyes for a moment as they were too bright for her sore eyes. Slowly but sure, the blue sky was seen peeking through the vanishing walls and iron bars.

When she opened her eyes as they had been used to the light, she saw Kaizuka Inaho was crouching in front of her. He was staring at her with baffled expression.

Inaho badly wanted to ask 'what is my fault?', 'what's going on with you?', 'why are you behaving like this?', 'why are you crying?', 'do you really want me to go away?', and so on...but instead of those questions, seeing Slaine lying tired of crying on the floor he could only ask, "How are you feeling?"

Instead of answering, Slaine asked with a croaky voice, "Why do you come back?"

Inaho didn't say anything for a while; he's just looking at Slaine with a look that the pale blond could not decipher. Yeah, how could she understand it? It's a certain look from someone who loved someone deeply beyond any words could describe. The pale blond was always thinking low about her own self; she never ever had a thought that she was deserved to be loved by anyone, even more, _by Kaizuka Inaho._

Inaho tilted his head, "I've said before that I'll stay with you. I'm fulfilling my own words." He wiped Slaine's tears with his fingers. He touched the shackles on the blonde’s hands; it dissipated without a sound. "Get up, we still have much time. Don't wastefully spend it sleeping on a cold floor." 

Slaine let herself be held up by Inaho so that they were sitting side by side now. Inaho had changed the environment back into the warm seashore; Slaine did nothing to it. She just stared at the horizon.

"....are you alright?" Inaho tentatively asked.

"I'm tired."

".....are you still angry at me?"

"Wh...what are you talking about? I'm not angry at you. Why should I?" Slaine answered, hiding her face beneath her bangs. Although deep inside she's really glad that Inaho was still there, staying beside her, she couldn't show it; pride was indeed her biggest enemy.

"But your face is red."

"?!?…it's....it's nothing!" Tears gathered at the corner of Slaine's eyes as she was so ashamed.

"Hm..."

"………………"

"Cry on my shoulder."

"What?!?" Slaine turned to Inaho and couldn't believe what she saw; Kaizuka Inaho was patting his right shoulder as if it was the coziest spot on Earth to cry--with a blank face--totally not the face to advertise something.

"I once heard a song my comrade sang, an old song. It's something around 'everyone needs a shoulder to cry on'. So, here, come at me." Inaho grabbed her nape and forced her face to land on his shoulder. Slaine, of course, tried her best for it not to happen. They were like that for a moment until Inaho succeeded in pressing Slaine’s face onto his chest with her still trying to get away.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DAUGHTER?"

Inaho hastily raised his hands up as he saw Nina Krucht suddenly appeared between he and Slaine. That witch stared at him with dark unforgiving eyes. 

"No...nothing, it's really nothing, Mrs.Krucht! He's just listening to old song too much. Please don't hurt him..." Rain said, holding Nina's hand which was ready to cast a spell.

"Really? Hmf. Mr.Inazuka, you're so lucky that my daughter is sweet and merciful and kind and--"

"No...it's not...I'm...I'm sorry but I'm not that good, actually--"

"What are you talking about? You're always like this! Denying wonderful things about you...you must not do that! It does no good to your self confidence!" Mrs.Krucht was lecturing Slaine with her all you-can't-argue-with-me aura 

"Your mother is right. Continuous negative-talk from within yourself is more damaging that what any other people saying as it corrodes your sense of self-worth silently with your own permission. Listen to her, Slaine."

"But--"

"No buts!" Mrs.Krucht and Inaho said in unison. "Nao is right. He's smart; you should listen to him." The witch continued.

Slaine looked at them in disbelief and then felt so irritated by a certain brunet who seemed _outstandingly smug_ right now, "……Kaizuka Inaho...I hate you!"

"I know it. Thank you."

Before Slaine became the one who hurt Inaho, Mrs.Krucht said, "Inazuka, out. The Leader wanted to talk to you. It's a nonsense, but...just go. He's waiting."

Inaho simply nodded, and then after waving his hand to Slaine (mockingly--in her point of view) he disappeared.

It was quiet for a moment. The mother were just kept staring at her daughter wordlessly. Slaine couldn't read what Mrs.Krucht was thinking about, but she knew that the woman in front of her was sad.

No. It wasn't just sadness. There were many things beyond it which she couldn't define. Had Inaho told her about what she had done about her memories? Hopefully he hadn't. Well, Mrs. Krucht didn't seem mad for now, so probably he hadn't. Or was it just because Slaine had failed to see it through? She couldn't make sure...she avoided meeting Mrs. Krucht's gaze, feeling ashamed.

Slaine realized then that there were many things that she's unable to understand about people who cared about her; she had not changed at all; she was still that oblivious Slaine Saazbaum Troyard who failed to see the most important thing. 

How could she persuade the Prince to stop his way of 'enlightening' human lives if she actually didn't completely grasp his thought? Inaho's right; there's high chance she would be turned into a water lily...or perhaps another plants she didn't even know.

....but still... 

Slaine remembered how Seiram told her about plants, long long ago, with twinkling eyes. They were wonderful living beings: they were able to think, albeit simple instinctively thought, but still they're sentient being. And yet, they're completely obedient and happily giving their lives for human. People cut and ate them, but they're still growing patiently, sustaining the lives of animals and humanity. Plants were un-doubtfully kind creatures. Although some of them were poisonous and some of them were dangerous, but still in the end they were useful: the poisonous ones were cultivated for medicinal usage and the dangerous ones were used to guard human's territory. If there were case where they were misused then it's the fault of people who were using them.

Unlike human. Yeah, human has kindness...but it’s not only that...

Human has dark sides too: gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, lust, envy…and so on…

Why should that be?

Why was human created with ego?

Why was human created with a tendency to hurt and fight and kill each other in war? 

Why weren't humans made as angelic as plants? Humans were a defected creation--Seiram felt the need to evolve them, fixing them so that there would be no more wars--no more hurting each other.

It's a bright future of eternal peace in this Realta.

Those were what Seiram had told her. At that time, Slaine was just a little kid who barely knew things of this world; she couldn't grasp it well...

...but as she was now, together with her past life memories, Slaine could understand why the prince had thought of such _ideal_ world.

Seiram was giving up.

Slaine could comprehend that feeling of despair; she had waged a war against Earth due to that; war was the only way she knew to achieve peace as she was losing hope in looking for another option.

She could be mistaken; there could have been another reason, but...

As a fellow sinner of humanity, Slaine wanted to try to talk to him.

Besides

Just like Asseylum Vers Allusia had done everything to stop her biggest mistake of trying to pulverize Earth in her previous life, this time Slaine wanted to do everything to stop Seiram in doing his horrendous way of 'saving' people.

Giving in to despair is a foolish choice.

That was what Inaho had said to her before, and he's right.

"What are you thinking about?"

Astonished, Rain looked at Mrs. Krucht who's sitting beside her now. The witch was staring at her with...an expression she couldn't understand. "No...nothing..." she answered.

Mrs.Krucht smiled, and then hugged her tight. For a moment she was just doing that without saying any word.

"Wh...why? What's wrong, Mrs. Krucht?"

Nina heaved a tired sigh, "...call me 'mom', would you? I may not be connected by blood to you, but I am your mother. Haven't I told you before about that?"

Rain looked down, "it's...I'm sorry.." She didn't really think much over the memories of 'having an adoptive mother'. Now that she thought about it she felt guilty; this 'mother' seemed to love her so much....but she didn't understand that feeling. She simply couldn't. 

"I'm sorry..." she repeated it again, but she felt that it's futile. What's the use of apologizing if she kept dissociating herself with this mother's love? Right. The thing that she kept thinking of over and over again was her _unforgivable_ sin of the past, so how could she catch the loves people around her had for her?

"…I'm sorry....I'm sorry...." tears silently flowed down from Rain's eyes, "I do not merit to be your daughter."

"Stop! Don't you dare to say that again!" Mrs.Krucht grabbed Rain's shoulders and tried to look at her in the eyes but the trembling girl was just bowing her head low; she didn't dare to see how angry Mrs.Krucht was to her now.

Slaine closed her eyes tight, "I do not deserve to be anyone daughter. So please, would you help me to meet prince Seiram? I--"

"Stop saying such nonsense!!! Rain...Slaine....whatever! You are my daughter and I won't allow you to meet him! You know, even if the Leader had a thought to give you up to that heartless prince I won't let that happens!"

Hearing that, Slaine hastily looked at Mrs. Krucht, "The Leader? Who is he? Give me up to the Prince? Is that really?"

Mrs. Krucht hissed, "You-are-NOT-going anywhere. Are we clear?"

Slaine fell silent. There's nothing left to say now. She looked down and nodded. She was all alone now; there's no use to talk to her anymore. Right when she felt so the dream got darker and she was out of that place. She got back to her dreamless sleep, not responding to her mother's call at her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Do you have any thought according to this plan, Inazuka junior?" The altered voice of the Leader was heard through the holographic screen which only showed "L" in black calligraphic letter.

"It is indeed a good strategy to get Seiram Vers Illusia's exact position, but it is also presented high level of risk to Rain Krucht. I myself cannot support this idea. She is a civilian and our organization primary mission is to protect civil society; the execution of that plan will discord with it. Besides, she is still 16 years old--an underage little girl. And I doubt that the Krucht would agree to endanger her life in this mission."

"I know that well, but that can be arranged as this is indeed a great opportunity. The Prince seems to be really eager to get her. First was through a mirage and a gate, second was through nanoframework. He didn't even make any move regarding to the other Ex-System Core--only to this Gull. High probability is that she is special to him. Besides, from what we have known, Core is needed alive in order to be used. She won't be harmed. Moreover, I've just got a report that she was currently ill and it seems the Prince has a better treatment method for her than us."

 _'……plus she herself wishes to meet him.'_ Inaho added internally. "What about Mrs.Krucht? Has she agreed with it?"

"Tell Mrs. Krucht to meet me in HQ. She shouldn't walk away just like that when I was talking to her; I am the Leader." 

Now, there's no way to forestall the plan of 'let the Prince catch the Gull' so that the last bloodline of Vers nobility could be caught. Well, Inaho still had a chance if only Slaine changed her mind about the meeting with the Prince. _If only_.

"I need you to prepare the means. Whether this plan will bear fruit or not it all depends on you."

Inaho touched his eyepatch, and nodded silently. He knew from experience that that Seiram might have something under his sleeves as he was this all out in getting Slaine. He had to be cautious about that too. "I need some help from the Protectors of area 11 to prepare it."

"I know. I've already informed them. They're on the way to Arcanum HQ, you'd better go there soon."

 _'This person is so eager to get the prince...why?'_ Inaho mused, feeling a bit dislike to this leader. "....understood." He muttered. With that, the line went off. The holograpic 'L' vanished from Inaho's sight.

 

\- to be continued -

 

[How much is the cost of repentance?]

[It depends

As, just like the person who truly knows the depth of love is the person who feels it

the person who truly knows the depth of regret is the person who shoulders that regret.

 

In the end, we can only try to understand]


	8. - You are.....to Me -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What beyond words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My white rabbit died T.T the brown one looked so lonely...I hope he could be strong enough to go through this...
> 
> Thank you very much for staying here with me, reading this story :')

Aldnoah Re:live chapter 8

 

\- You are.....to Me -

 

[It doesn't need to be put into words]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The place didn't look like headquarter of a very prestigious and important organization at all. And that's why it was the perfect central control of Area 11 Protectors.

 

It was a mall, a wizard mall at the city of Arden to be exact. Inazuka and Mrs.Krucht went to a big book store at the 2nd floor to meet The L. Well, actually the one who's called by the Leader was Nina Krucht, but Inazuka tagged along as he wanted to make sure the objective of that L according to his plan to 'give the Gull'. 

 

At that filled-with-book store, Nina took out a small black notebook from her pouch and showed it to a young shopkeeper.

 

"We're looking for the next chapter of this book. Do you have any?"

 

The shopkeeper smiled and took the book from Mrs.Krucht. Without any words she checked it. Seeing that there's an extra page with golden embroidery of a turtle there, she nodded. "Yes, we have it. Please follow me."

 

Inaho and Mrs.Krucht followed that shopkeeper to the employee-only door. There, they went through an aisle downstairs to a big room entitled 'Literature Vault'. Strangely, although it seemed small from the outside, the inside was as big as a huge cave. Inside that dim-lit room....papers, parchment, stone writings were piling up there like towers that could collapse anytime; but they weren't. In front of a mound of books in the corner the shopkeeper caressed a book with the Earth drawing as its cover.

 

"It's a beautiful place, since it's your birthplace." She said, and then the books moved, forming an alley downstairs.

 

Inaho and Mrs. Krucht walked in while the shopkeeper stayed at the entrance. She didn't like to meet the Leader of area 11. 

 

The Protectors was led by one Leader for each area. There were total 219 areas of operation regardless the country across the Plateo. Each Protectors usually only knew the Leader of the area they're working on unless there's cross-area duty involved. Everyone in this 11th knew exactly that their leader was able to read people's mind just by staring into their eyes. So although he's very polite, hard worker, and brotherly kind, no one liked to be near his presence.

 

...that was exactly what Nina and Inazuka thought for now as the L, behind his upper tidy work desk, was looking straightly into their eyes. Lucky for them, he was used to anyone thinking about him that way.

 

"Sit down please. And I want to make it clear first, Inazuka. I never have a thought of sacrificing Rain Krucht just to get the Prince." That black hair man stated right before the two guests sat down.

 

"…"

 

"I'm not lying. You may use your left eye to confirm it. I don't mind, really."

 

Inaho removed his eye patch and check it. He's right. The L wasn't lying.

 

"Mrs. Krucht, please, this plan won't pose any danger to your daughter. Do you doubt the ability of people chosen as Protectors?"

 

The lolita witch glared dangerously with no fear whatsoever right to the L's eyes. The black hair man couldn't say anything for a moment. Inaho felt so glad he didn't need to know what was in that mother's mind right now.

 

"Yes, I understand that. But, please do not worry. That Prince takes her as very important person; she won't be harmed--"

 

"…………!!??!!!"

 

"No, I do not intend to do that, Mrs. Krucht, believe me."

 

"THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL INSIST ON DOING THIS SH*TTY PLAN?"

 

Mrs.Krucht stood up. Her eyes were burning with rage. Inaho looked at Mr.L, demanding an explanation too.

 

The black hair man took a deep breath, and then calmly said, "it is her wish to meet the prince, am I not right?" He looked down, as if remembering someone important to him but he didn't want to share it with the world--keeping it only for him. "She wishes to deal with her past life. I think it's good for her to do so; that way she'll able to move on. People shouldn't live in the same chapter forever--they have to go on to the next one." He raised his head and stared directly into Mrs. Krucht eyes. "I only wish the best for her. She has the noblest soul. She has showered me with light during her previous life. I'm happy to be at her service. I just hope that this little help would provide her happiness."

 

_'But letting her go to met the Prince I'm afraid my little girl doesn't even want to come home again. I get a feeling that she doesn't even want to live anymore...'_ Mrs. Krucht sadly thought. While Inaho said out loud in a clear rivalry, "You hide something about that past life with Slaine Troyard..." 

 

Mr.Light softly smiled; he remembered the time when he met the reincarnated Slaine Troyard at the investigator shelter for the first time. The little girl was innocently looking at him, but her mind was with Inazuka Inaho who had helped her escape from the Lunar base. 

 

"Rest assured. She wished to be with you."

 

Dumbfounded, Inaho's mind froze for a moment, while Mrs.Krucht demanded further explanation.

 

Mr.Light knew he shouldn't say anything regarding to the inside mind of Rain Krucht which he had known, but it couldn't be helped. They had the right to know. No. It would be better for them to know. "Don't tell her that I inform you this: when I met her during the investigation about the Vers six years ago, she only thought about you and the new family she was going to have. She wished to be with you all. I don't think that has changed. I don't think that will change."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine tiredly opened his eyes, trying his best to wake up. He felt odd as he remembered clearly he dreamed of talking with Inaho and Mrs.Krucht. Dreaming in this world was scary; the people he talked to inside it felt so real: Princess Asseylum, Mrs.Krucht, and Inaho. 

 

...The later even wiped his tears....

 

Dream. Yeah. That's just a dream.

 

Then he harshly remembered that, no, those weren't just 'ordinary dream'; that's one way of communicating in this dreamlike magical world. The two had really talked to her. And...

 

Slaine tried his best not to remember how the stoic robot-like brunet hugged her at the seashore of that dream...

 

How long he had been asleep? He didn't know...His head was hurt, his eyesight was terrible, and his body felt as if a titan had crushed him. But even so he didn't want to sleep anymore. He wanted to talk to the Prince. Whatever it would take. If there's no one who was willing to help him he would do it by himself even if it meant he had to creep away from home, wandering in the unfamiliar zone of this magical world. 

 

Well, he didn't belong to any home after all.

 

As Slaine was trying to get up a hand stopped him. "Please, just take a rest. Don't move that much for now...are you alright? Do you hurt somewhere?"

 

Slaine looked at the owner of that hand. His eyesight was hazy, but he could guess that the person at his bedside was Mrs. Krucht. He instantly felt bad as he had, kind of, 'refused' to talk to her in the dream before.

 

"I am sorry." He said, almost inaudible; his throat hurt.

 

"…don't say 'sorry' too much. You're always like this…" Mrs.Krucht smiled, sadly, "say...do you really wanna go talk to the Prince? You even have asked Inazuka about it."

 

Slaine couldn't bring himself to meet Mrs.Krucht's stare. But he nodded, silently.

 

"……may I know why?"

 

No answer. He avoided Mrs.Krucht look at best; Slaine didn't want to say anything as he felt it would just be useless. He could never win any argument against 'his mother' after all.

 

Mrs.Krucht heaved a big tired sigh. "Can you promise me to come back home safely?"

 

Puzzled, Slaine tried to look at Mrs.Krucht with his hazy eyes, "do you...do you allow me to go meet the Prince?"

 

A nod. Mrs. Krucht hated to do so, but she couldn't do anything about it. The Leader had 'talked' to her face to face, trying to change the mother's mind. He almost failed, but when he argued using the point that it was Rain's wish, Mrs.Krucht gave up in the end.

 

"So long as you're going to go back home after that, safe and sound, I'll let you go. Promise me that you would come home, please?"

 

Slaine hung his head. No. He couldn't lie. Not anymore. He knew how suffocating it was to lie; his past had taught him enough of it: he felt filthy and disgraceful. Moreover, lying would only hurt everyone in the bitter end. If it's possible he wouldn't do it anymore. But he couldn't answer honestly either...Well, perhaps silent was the best answers. But he could not take that option now. He had to do as Mrs.Krucht's said or else perhaps the witch would secure him and ran away from everything just to keep him away from the Prince.

 

So in the end he carefully stated, "Mrs.Krucht…you should just let me go. I'm not your daughter after all."

 

"You ARE MY DAUGHTER."

 

Slaine flinched, but he kept on going, "No, I'm Slaine Saazbaum Troyard."

 

"Throw away that name! Let the past be the past!"

 

"No...the sin I've done had been too great. It will be injustice if I do not pay for it."

 

"And what - exactly - will you pay for that with?"

 

Slaine looked down and grasped his pendant with both shaky hands. "...An eye for an eye.... I know I could not pay for all what had been lost, but at least I'd do what I could....Please Mrs. Krucht, please allow me to go."

 

"You MAY NOT give up your life. Do you hear me?"

 

There's silent for a moment. Slaine held his pendant tighter, and gritted his teeth. "...losing my life isn't going to help anything. Trust me. I won't throw away my life that easily. I'll do my best to come back home to you."

 

With that, Mrs. Krucht smiled.

 

She didn't know that Slaine had lied after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a week since Slaine was hospitalized. Now that the pale blond was strong enough to move, she, accompanied by Inaho and Mrs.Krucht, intended to go back to Ard village. 

 

The three was at the smelly sewer under Arcanum city. They needed to go home secretly so that The Vers didn't suspect anything.

 

Inaho was explaining the L plan to Slaine while Mrs.Krucht was on the qui vive behind them. The plan was simple. Slaine would be left alone, not within (obvious) constant surveillance of Krucht family or Inaho. It couldn't be done deliberately as it would be compromising. So, they planned to make it as if Rain was into her so-called youth rebel stage, and she was going to run away from home. By doing that it was hoped that the Prince would catch her easily. That, Inaho briefly explained as he was handling his school bag to the blonde’s hands. 

 

The blond looked at the brown bag closely; it was an average size school bag filled with things he knew not what, but it was surprisingly light.

 

"So after this, we're heading back to my house through the secret gate. And then, you will run away from your home. The time is up to you, but do remember that you need lots of time to rest first. 

 

Don't forget to carry that bag. Use things inside that wisely. We won't help you more than this. If you fail to escape from Ard, that means we aren't going to execute this plan as you're deemed incapable of defending your own self. Are we clear?" Inaho said without revealing any emotion, although actually deep inside he disliked the Leader who had approved this plan....a bit. 

 

Yeah, he understood now after meeting him face to face that, no, Mr.Light didn't desire that much to catch the Prince. He was just willing to grant any of Slaine's wish--no matter how dangerous to the pale blond that wish was. That black haired man was so sincere in anything related to Rain Krucht--he was sure of it thanks to his left eye. And that's exactly why the brunet was a bit irritated by that "L". Well, ok, perhaps he's just jealous. What kind of past had this Light shared with _his_ Slaine? He unfortunately couldn't read that. What had Light used to lock away his past memories? It irked him...

 

"You're hiding something, aren't you, Kaizuka Inaho?" Slaine eyed him in distrust. "You're telling me the truth, but it wasn't the whole truth. And right now your body is here, but you're thinking of something hateful faraway. You aren't that good in masking it. Can't you just be honest to me?"

 

"......What had made you think so?" Inaho took out a pair of glasses from his inner blazer pocket and fixed it on Slaine's face. As the pale blond was still carrying the brunet's bag he could do nothing to prevent Inaho's hands from touching his skin and tidying his hair--no matter how the pale blond felt _absolutely odd_ about it. He could say nothing either.

 

"I hope this will help your eyesight." Inaho's hands were lingering _unnecessarily too long_ on Slaine's reddened cheeks. Mrs.Krucht airy coughed behind them, but Inaho acted as if he didn't hear it.

 

"Wh...wh...wh.... Why are you finally helping me?" Uh oh...it's just _hands_ but Slaine couldn't think straight now...but in the dream world Inaho's touch didn't impact him this much! The real deal was surely different from a mere dream.

 

Inaho brushed Slaine's bangs so that they're now framing his pale face complexion nicely. "......that's... classified information."

 

Mrs.Krucht coughed, hard. Inaho put his hands away from Slaine. The three started walking to Ard in silence afterwards. The single orb of light floated obediently above Inaho.

 

The brunet observed Slaine thoroughly, "Would you like for me to teach you how to use emergency communicator device-in the form of a brooch-- inside that bag? If things go bad with the Prince I could assure to help."

 

"...thank you, but no. I'm sure Prince Seiram would carefully listen to what I say." Slaine looked at the ugly blackened water coursing at her left, avoiding Inaho's eyes.

 

Inaho didn't say anything after that. He carefully observed Slaine. The pale blond tried his best not to meet that stare. He didn't like the brunet observing him like that; it felt like he was being put on a white table on the lab and Inaho was the poker faced mad scientist taking notes about him. Well, if only Inaho was wearing his black eye patch and dark blue outfit now Slaine's whole imaginative feeling would be Inaho as a pirate and Slaine was the treasure he set his eyes on.....that would be roman----uh no. NO! Slaine stopped himself to think further about that.

 

All of sudden the brunet firmly (and darkly) said, "Slaine Troyard, what is your true objective?"

 

"Wh...what? What are you saying about?"

 

"You're not really sure that the Prince will do no harm to you. But you still insist on meeting him. Why? What has made you determined to do so? What goal do you set your eyes to?" Both of Inaho's eyes deeply bored onto her. They're like x-rays of accusation to her now...Slaine stopped walking as she felt her legs going weak.

 

Slaine opened her mouth, but then closed it again without a word. She closed her eyes tight, gritting her teeth. After being silent for a while, she took a deep breath and whispered, "I want to stop him. He should stop changing humanity into plants. That's horrible. That's my reason."

 

"Just be honest to me; that's not all; my left eye knows it."

 

Slaine's breathing became heavier, "What!? What could your left eye possibly know about me? Can it....can it _read people's mind_? Don't...DON'T YOU DARE DOING THAT TO ME!!" She threw the brown bag to Inaho's face and ran away.

 

"Slaine, no...wait..." Inaho said calmly as he winked his left eye once and the floor in front of Slaine suddenly rose, turning into wall which effectively blocked her escape route.

 

Slaine looked at the brunet with ultimate hatred; tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. She took her wand from her skirt pocket.

 

Inaho covered his left eye with his hand, "Stop. I can't read mind using this. I've just been using its analytical ability, but the information I've got about your heartbeat rate, voice pitch, etc do not help me much to know what you were thinking. I just conclude that you have just lied when you said 'that's my reason', but I cannot exactly pinpoint why. That's why I've tried to confirm! And now you have attempted to run away from me although as far as I presume I do not pose any danger. Why? Tell me your reasons, Slaine Troyard!"

 

Slaine took a deep shaky breath to hear that, "and why should I explain that to you? You're heartless! I really hate you!" She swung the wand but nothing happened. Of course. It's because she hadn't been thinking of anything which seriously harming Inaho using magic in any way. So even though she swung the wand many times all the result was her tears streaming down even more.

 

Seeing that, Inaho for sure didn't know what to do; screw that, he _didn't_ even understand what had been going on. Why was she _crying_? What could make her stop looking so in pain? What to do? Ah...if only there's magic to stop the tears...

 

"Dear, calm yourself...it's alright..." Mrs.Krucht moved closer to her daughter, attempting to hold her trembling shoulders. But Slaine cornered herself away between the blocking wall and the sewer as if afraid of the mother's touch.

 

Now it's clear for Mrs.Krucht that her daughter was hiding something _bad_ from her.

 

Inaho let the bag fell on the floor and then tried to touch Slaine's shaky hand. But, she snapped it and turned away, aiming her wand at the wall instead. That stone bricks shattered in second. Slaine attempted to run away, but Inaho built the wall again.

 

When Slaine was looking at Inaho again her expression was much like a cornered rat. It stopped Inaho right away in his attempt to catch her, thinking, _'she is afraid if I know her true objective...it means that's something I or Mrs.Krucht disapprove of...that we won't let she met the prince if only we know....'_

 

Then his conclusion hit him hard. "Slaine Troyard, do you wish to just die along with the plan?" 

 

The pale blond looked shocked. An increase in heartbeat. Then, it turned slow and steady. It's the truth. Slaine didn't look at him at all, and Inaho really hated that expression of self-hatred on her face right now. Why should she hate herself that much? 

 

Inaho tried his best to cover up his emotion while saying these. "No, you have to live." 

 

But even so, it's as if someone had stabbed Slaine right through her heart. That girl looked so pained hearing those words. 

 

She felt that it's no use to argue. Just like Mrs.Krucht, Inaho wouldn't let her die for reasons the pale blond couldn't comprehend up to now. Well, perhaps this was some form of equivalent exchange; she couldn't understand them, and none of them could comprehend her feelings of guilt, of regret, 

 

...of how she didn't deserve having a good happy family, how she cursed the fact that she was still breathing up to now. 

 

Slaine built an iron wall between her and Mrs.Krucht, and Inaho. Then, she destroyed the wall that had been blocking her way. She ran from them, grasping her pendant, sobbing. 

 

A sound of blast. It seemed Mrs.Krucht had destroyed the wall and chased her. Inaho turned the iron wall into a door and then went forward. But he didn't see Slaine or the mother. There's only a huge hole up there and the grey sky of Arcanum city was peeking through. Some curious lads were also looking inside the cave in underground water tunnel. A blast or two was heard happening from faraway. 

 

Frustrated, but still with his calm demeanor, he put the brown bag on his back, took his tablet out from his coat pocket, and looked for where Slaine had gone; he had put a tracker on her glasses. 

 

She was moving to the west, in high speed. 

 

_'So fast. How could? Ah, right, she is carrying a wand and able to use that without any doubt now. But, has Mrs.Krucht lost sight of her? I hope not. We shall not let the L plan continues. Slaine is suicidal and in no proper state to conduct a mission now.'_

 

Inaho opened the city map through his tablet and predicted where Slaine would go. As he moved up using levitation spell, a call came in. 

 

"I am so going to fry you! You and your mindless interrogation! Where do you think she's going?" 

 

"She's going through Luminous Alley now. We shall get to her fast; there's a cursed building at the end of that road. It could harm her. Mrs.Krucht, where's your position now?" 

 

"Strange...I've been flying, following her up to the East Coast road that she's suddenly gone! That's why I call you. But I never thought she could be that far away in the opposite direction from me now... Are you sure you're not mistaken?" 

 

"Ah....She probably cast a decoy after she had been using some sort of invisibility spells, luring you to the opposite direction... I'm going to Luminous now. When you catch up with us please try to not let her know that the glasses I gave her has tracker in them; she would throw them away if she knew. That would be bad as her eyesight now was worry some." 

 

_'Do not lecture me you insolent brat!'_ "I know I know! I'm going there now!" With that, Mrs.Krucht ended the call. 

 

_'Not bad, Slaine Troyard. But you can't fool me.'_ Inaho mainly focused on using his analytical eye now. It's a bit tiring, and he had to be careful enough not to let Slaine knew that he could see what couldn't be seen by normal eyes using that. 

 

He was near Luminous Street now. As he looked at the sky calculating the option of whether Slaine probably intended to go through the air, he saw a thing that made his blood ran cold. 

 

Above the wrecked-by -oak-tree building, a huge Kataphrakt invisible to the normal eye was there, flying right toward the direction where Slaine was going. From the design, it looked so much like the Stygis Slaves of the past life Moon base. 

 

Inaho moved his sight to his tablet as if he was checking an incoming message. But actually he kept observing on that thing using Arcanum city's camera footage. Thanks to his left eye he could see what normal eyes would miss. He also checked whether that thing emanated heat signature. 

 

It's not. And it had no shadow either. 

 

It was a perfect optical camouflage, just like the Aldnoah skill of Kataphrakt Scandia that he had fought in his previous life before. _'Is it a sort of newly built Aldnoah Re:live System? How long it had been there? Had it been observing us since when Slaine and Mrs.Krucht were out of the tunnel?'_

 

_Inaho updated his new findings to Yuki in the area 11 HQ information center through encrypted short message, requesting to ask for Area 3 Protectors help._

 

If that invisible flying Kataphrakt was indeed part of Aldnoah Re:live system....if they could catch this 'Stygis Slave'... they could autopsy it to get the Prince hideout. No need to make Slaine involved in all of this. Inaho would securely keep her, safe and sound at home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She felt cold. 

 

Of course, she was inside a basement of a 4 storey, abandoned, _cursed_ building with rusted steel wall. Throughout this building's dark aisle she had seen lots of silvery mist in the form of human, humming a sad song, or crying, or writhing. They were the lowest level of ghost--the remnant of feelings. Their existence made you feel cold, both in mind and body. But aside from that they're not dangerous. 

 

Slaine entered the room that wasn't corroded too much. She released her optical camouflage spell and slumped on the floor. She was awfully tired. She had felt cornered, alone, and scared from Inaho and Mrs.Krucht's approach before. Due to that, as her magic was greatly affected by her emotions, the escape had succeeded magnificently. But it seemed she had squeezed out her stamina because of the exact same reason. She had to take a rest first, and she had chosen this cursed building because normal people wouldn't wander there. 

 

Crouching in fetal position on the cold damp floor, she felt broken but she was too tired to cry. What should she do now? Where could she find the Prince? Would Inaho catch her? There's too much uncertainty in her future now, but first thing first, she knew she had to cast a protective spell so that she could sleep without being harmed by the high level ghost that she knew was burrowing at the top floor of this once mechanical shop building; she could literally felt its tremendous negative aura. 

 

Except that she had drifted off before she even realized that she had fallen asleep. 

 

When she harshly woke up listening to a rustling sound it was too late. 

 

She sat. Alert. The air felt dreamy. There were rotten scent and yellowish haze everywhere. The dirty mist was dangerously glittering. 

 

The ghost had entrapped her inside its barrier. 

 

Slaine was really sure that she had held her wand in her hand before, but now it was gone. It seemed like the ghost had taken it up from her hand, sneering at her while waiting for her to wake up. 

 

It liked to see her despair before it took her. 

 

A sound of ragged breath was heard from all direction. It came closer and closer. Slaine didn't remember of any trick of how to face a high level ghost without a wand. She was pretty much scared. 

 

But she wasn't scared for her life. She just felt bad if she died now before she had a chance to talk to the Prince. 

 

She had to live, for now. So when the rotten mist engulfed her she held her breath and broke free, running away from it. 

 

But the mist kept chasing her. And it was everywhere. She couldn't hold on much longer. She had to breathe. 

 

Right when she opened her mouth, the yellowish mist was coursing to her lungs and she fell on the floor. Second later her body was numb. Her mind started to slip away. 

 

"Let go of her, you filthy ghost." 

 

The mist laughed. Ice frost slowly appeared around the room. Blood started dripping from Slaine's mouth. 

 

There's a blast of light, and then the wind rushing through in that place. The ghost screeched and ran away. It tried to go back to the top floor, but the wind was merciless, and it burnt the yellowish mist with hot air. The ghost was finally gone. 

 

Slaine tiredly opened her eyes. She saw Kaizuka Inaho was standing there with the light that peeking through the broken ceiling showered him. He crouched, staring at her with expression she couldn't decipher. The brunet then supported her with his arm and checked her lungs. 

 

Inaho silently offered a small glass bottle (from the brown bag) in front of the pale blond's nose, saying, "I'm sorry..." 

 

Slaine felt better after she breathed in its sweet smell, "…why? What are you sorry for?" 

 

"…if only I know that ghost would hurt you, I wouldn't have taken your wand." 

 

"It's.........what? **You take my wand?!?** " 

 

"I only wanted you to experience first-hand how difficult it is to survive in this wizardly world without sufficient preparations against things that you would never imagine could come and get you." 

 

Slaine woke up and grabbed Inaho's front shirt, "What?? I don't know that you are that low, Kaizuka Inaho! Do you wish for me to get scared of this world so that I won't even try to meet the Prince?" 

 

"That was my objective, yes." This was said with a face equivalent as saying that the weather was good today. Of course Slaine was more and more irritated seeing that. 

 

She took a deep shaky breath, but all she could manage to whisper with tears threatening to fall was, "Heartless...you're so heartless..." 

 

Yeah, what the brunet had done had made her realize that she currently wasn't strong enough to face this world by herself. She was weak. _Weak_. She still remembered too little about how to survive in the cruelty of the reality she was in now. Oh, how she indeed hated her weak self so much! 

 

Seeing such profound expression of self-hatred, Inaho flinched, ".....what about you? Have you ever thought that you're the heartless one?" 

 

"Wh…what?" Really, Slaine couldn't understand at all what Inaho was saying. 

 

"Do you have a heart? I doubt it; you cannot comprehend what you are to your mother, what you are to your brother, what you are to your friends...." Inaho grabbed Slaine's back, making the now wide-eyed girl got pressed to him. Their faces were closer than ever. "....What you are...to me..." Inaho looked absolutely serious now that it got a bit scary. "...you know I would do... _anything_ just to keep you safe..." 

 

Heartbeat fast. Absolute redness. Inaho's eyes, _both eyes_ , bored deep into Slaine's. She was trembling, and tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. 

 

"Ah, I see...you know it, but you still deny it. Why?" Inaho looked at Slaine's lips. They're a bit opened, and they seemed so.... 

 

"....Perhaps I need to get it clearer to you." 

 

With that, he kissed the girl. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

__\- 5 days ago at the flying Mechanical Castle above the blackened lake -_ _

 

The pink hair girl was happily walking, looking at the rows on Stygises in their chamber. She wickedly smiled, "So...all of them are my power now, right, _sister_?" 

 

"It's 'brother' now." Seiram patiently corrected her. "Yes, truthfully, you are the core of them. _The Historia Record_ of its Aldnoah Re:live was marked by your previous existence. It could only be activated when you're within its core tank." 

 

Seiram had awakened Rina's past memories. He's kind of glad that his sister hadn't changed much from what he remembered about her in the previous life: she loved to quip Asseylum a lot. And that's what he liked about her; she's brutally honest. She treated him (or in the previous life, her) as a person--human being who could do wrong too. Unlike most who look at her to the level of unreachable deity that everything she wished must be granted--no matter how destructive it was in the end. 

 

"Hmmf. So I cannot control this swarm of Stygis while I walk? That's too bad..." 

 

"Why, if I may ask?" 

 

"I bet I'll look cool and powerful if that could happen. Slaine will surely praise me a lot. Hey, why are you laughing?" 

 

"You really love her...do you?" 

 

"Well, of course I do." Lemrina looked at her _brother_. "What about you? Whom do you love...? Huh, I know it: the Vers people. You _are programmed_ to love all EQUALLY. I so pity you." 

 

Hearing that, Seiram looked down, and stopped. Lemrina curiously eyed him. 

 

"...it's different now..." he softly said, "it's different..." 

 

The past royalty role of Vers had limited his view. So much. 

 

But as he was Seiram now, he understood. Much. 

 

He liked Slaine's companion. 

 

He couldn't wait to tell her stories that would make her adore him. 

 

He was so enlightened to see her smile. He wanted to be the reason of that smile... 

 

She was _just a tool_ , but he wanted her to stay near, as an equal. Side by side. 

 

Seeing the expression on her brother's face, Lemrina understood. She laughed a little. 

 

"You've changed a lot. I'm happy for you, really. Too bad I can't pity you anymore." Lemrina said with her usual haughty tone. 

 

Seiram smiled, "that's what a lifetime can do." 

 

"Yeah yeah...but I won't budge to you. Never." 

 

"Even though I'm your brother?" 

 

" _Exactly_ because you are my brother." 

 

"....Slaine is a girl now, you know." 

 

"That do not change the fact that I wish to protect her and I'll do anything to fulfill her dreams." 

 

"Yes. I have seen it enough. You even hurt yourself in the end just for Slaine to fulfill a role which had just pained him in the past." 

 

With that, Lemrina snapped. She eyed him menacingly, "Be mindful with your words, _sister_." 

 

"I only stated the truth." Right now Seiram looked so haughty...and scary..... Lemrina never imagined he could have it. 

 

The brother darkly explained, "You're egoist. You wanted him to _need you_ no matter what; by that reason you helped him to fulfill _other's dream_ which required him to _bleed dry_ during the process." 

 

By that, Lemrina could only see him with widened-eyes. 

 

Seiram didn't like to be this harsh to his sister...yes, they might be not related by blood, but she was _his sister_. 

 

Back then 13 years ago when he found the reincarnation of Lemrina Vers Envers, he hastily erased the record so that his father and grandfather couldn't take her in to the Lunar base. 

 

Why? Because war is cruel. 

 

Lemrina had been reborn as happy kid of a normal family; Seiram didn't want to take it from her. 

 

When Rina's father and mother died, he was the one behind the scene who made her could be adopted by another normal family. 

 

One and a half year ago, Rina's adoptive parents were died. It was after the fall of Lunar base. He had to hide and he couldn't do much. So he was so thankful to Yagarai that the healer had somehow taken Rina to his custody. And he even moved to Ard so that Rina would be close to Rain Krucht--or in other words--Slaine Troyard that she loved. 

 

Seiram loved his sister. If only he could he would never drag her to any Aldnoah-related things...but he couldn't help it. He's also surprised that the one who had activated Aldnoah for Stygis in the past was Lemrina Vers Envers. 

 

Seiram continued to his guilt-ridden sister, "Now if you want to redeem for your sin toward Slaine...it is the time... _We_ will assure her happiness _here_ , in this Eden Castle. Get Slaine Troyard back without anyone noticing. Look for her whereabouts start from now using your Stygis's slaves. After you found her, use your identity as _her friend_ Rina to lure her here. Are we clear?" 

 

He had stopped the nanoframework activities to break Slaine's body system. But at this rate of self-destruct Slaine couldn't hold on much longer if she kept insisting on remembering things she shouldn't remember. He had to get her back here to treat her. She was _dying_ , but he couldn't say that straight to Lemrina's face as he afraid it would shock and break her. 

 

As he was no longer _brainwashed_ to love just **everyone** , he knew well that he loved his sister and Slaine, more than the Vers. 

 

 

More than humanity. 

 

 

 

\- to be continued - 

 

\- You are.....to Me -  


 

 

 

[It doesn't need to be put into words]  


 

 

[...as words aren't enough to describe how you are so....to me]  



	9. - Kizuna -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Kizuna' here means 'bond'.
> 
> Since I think of The Back Horn "Kizuna Song" much when I wrote this...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for keep reading this story ｡◕ ‿ ◕｡

Inaho wiped Slaine's tears; she just couldn't stop crying after the brunet had kissed her. 

Inaho was thinking whether to ask Slaine to stop crying would be a correct move. What if such request would only make her feeling denied and she felt lonely even more? No. He didn't want to hurt the blond. He wanted her to stop looking so in pain.

So he opted to directly ask, "Why are you crying?" 

"..........n't"

"....? I beg your pardon?"

"I.......n't! ......should not!"

It's so hard to understand her words while she was sobbing like this, but he would patiently try. "What...? What you shouldn't?"

".....love.....there's no way......I....no right to....."

Inaho blinked, "Don't say such a thing. You can't fight your nature. Everyone is gifted to feel love, and so are you."

"But I.....sinner! ......hurt....many people.............killed....I--"

Inaho stopped her murmur by sealing those lips with his.

Inaho then looked at Slaine in the eyes, "Accept it. Do not feel guilty of loving. It is not a sin. Yes, it has possibility to turn out as a fuel of catastrophe if it is used as a blind reasoning to justify atrocious act. But, love itself is a beautiful feeling." He carefully wiped Slaine's tears. "And even though, let's say, you have done heavy sins. Who says a sinner shan't be loved? Who says a sinner may not love?"

Hearing that, the pale blond opened her mouth, but then closed it again without saying anything. She looked down and seemed utterly lost. Inaho didn't push her further. He played a bit with the hair that framed her face. 

Inaho felt lucky that Mrs.Krucht was being given task to help catching the Stygis Slave for now; he could have such a close-contact heart to heart moment with Slaine like this. That full-fledged witch wasn't alone; ten protectors from Arcanum were with her. So, there was high possibility that the Slave could be caught. Moreover, the plan to let the Prince catch the Gull was stopped; Mr.Light sounded so upset to know that Slaine was suicidal. He finally ordered Inazuka to carry the pale blond back to Ard. Inaho surely got a lot of luck in his life....and in his previous life too. (He was late to evacuate, but then he could catch-up with his friends…moreover, with the addition of meeting a princess halfway whom he could use—uhm— _cooperate with_ to save everyone) (Oh, but his biggest luck in the series is to get Slaine ~~all for himself~~ alive in the very end. What a lucky guy…)

"Come on. Let's go home to Ard." Inaho tried to raise Slaine from her sitting position, but she didn't budge.

"No..." She quietly whispered, trembling as she grabbed her pendant. "....is not....home...I...I don't have..."

Before Inaho said anything, a sound of a blast was heard. The ground shook; some of the corroded part fell down. He automatically hugged Slaine to protect her. Luckily none of the debris got them. 

_'Is the fight with the Slave that bad? Has it escaped Image World Barrier? If it is, then it’s bad; the fight could reach us here.'_ He thought. "Stand up! We've got to go."

"Inaho...what's going on?" Slaine asked; this time she let the brunet led her, running to the ground level of this cursed building.

"There's a fight next to this street. I have been given the duty to safely escort you to Ard." They arrived at the grayish lowest level of that old place. Inaho tapped the cracked floor, and then offered his hands to Slaine. “Bat, cling to me as if your life depends on it." 

"Wh..what? No way Orange! I'm...I'm not that weak!" She glared dangerously at him now.

Inaho raised his eyebrow, "Please do not forget that your wand is on me."

Slaine gritted her teeth, "Give it back to me, you criminal!"

"Incorrect password. Time is up. Don't scream." Inaho flatly said as he hugged Slaine's waist and destroyed the floor beneath them with a blink of his eye. As they were down to the darkness, the brunet calmly uttered, "Orb. Light the way." With that, a glowing orb came out of his pocket and floating above his head. 

They fell quite high, but they landed safely on the sewer floor as Inaho had used levitation spell to slow down their fall.

"...I see that you really love to take a walk in a sewer. Really. What a wonderful taste." The pale blond sneered--a bit distempered that she indeed had had to cling to the brunet so that she didn't freely fall down.

"I don't mind walking in whatever the place might be, better or worse than this, as long as I'm with you." Inaho leisurely said. 

Hearing that, the blonde's face became as red as strawberry. She opened her mouth to retort, but failed to find anything to say. Seeing that, the brunet raised his eyebrows. He then grabbed Slaine's right hand and started to run to the left. They were running in silence for long after that.

"What? Got your tongue stolen by the cat?" Inaho asked (mockingly, in Slaine's point of view) as they passed the 12th turn.

"Sh...shut up, Orange!" 

"Ah...You are so easy to go blushing. I've just said a fact without flattery and yet your heart beat rapidly. Plus, it seems like your brain is heated up to the point that you are unable to arrange any string of words. I am so very interested in experimenting of what your reaction will be if I cooed you like the main protagonist of the romantic visual nov--"

"DON'T! Just don't...and...st..STOP SAYING THINGS, ORANGE!!"

Slaine's face was a deep shade of red. And there were tears threatening to fall on her eyes. Inaho noted that the pale blond had this type of tears from embarrassment. He victoriously smiled inside. He was so very glad that she was forgetting about her self-hatred and regret for the time being, enjoying the present as it is.

Inaho stopped in front of a cement floor with crayon stick figure drawing on it. He looked at Slaine in the eyes, and spread his hands. "Come. Hug me tight."

Slaine greatly wanted to retort with _'in your impossible dream'_ but all she could say was nothing as her head was extremely light for now due to seeing Inaho's soft expression ...it was really…

Inaho took that two seconds of silence as 'yes, I don't mind if you hold me tight', so he hugged Slaine and slowly flew up, passing through the ceiling. The blond was unable to think properly as they moved toward a strange upward aisle. At the top of this vertical passage there was a glowing blue magical diagram.

Inaho blinked, and the diagram changed the structure of the stone ceiling into a steel ring engraved with intricate symbols.

All of the sudden they were back at the crypt of Inaho's house.

"....."

"...."

".....Inaho, we have arrived."

"Yes. As you can see, this is the secret room of my house."

"Th...that's why...let...let me go..."

"....."

"K..Kaizuka Inaho!"

The brunet reluctantly released her from his arms. 

"Wh...What? S..Stop looking at me like that! N...Now, give me back my wand!"

"....it's confiscated." The brunet flatly said.

" **I beg your pardon?** "

"It's a policy not only in Arcanum but also in Chamois and 13 other countries that _a suicidal person shall not carry any form of magical conductor_ \--a wand is included." Inaho explained as a matter of fact.

"What..? But I...ugh..." She avoided Inaho's glare. "I'm....I'm not....suicidal or anything..." Oh she could literally taste her pathetic lie died in her mouth; even a moron in being-social thing would easily read the truth.

"And as long as you carry such attitude you are forbidden to step out of Ard village. Forget the L plan." 

".........?!?!" Slaine nervously grabbed her pendant. Now, what should she do to be able to talk with the Prince? She looked at Inaho in the eyes. No. She couldn't find any aperture to persuade the brunet to help her now. She regretted greatly of why she had tried to run away from Inaho and Mrs.Krucht in Arcanum.

"....rest assured. One way or another, you would have a chance to talk to him, I guess."

"?? What? What are you trying to say, Inaho?"

"He isn't the type who will give up when he has decided on something. You had experienced it first-hand when you were living in Mars before, hadn't you?" Inaho put his hands on the pale blond's shoulders, "which is why we have to get ready for _everything_. So, first thing first, choose. Me, or him. I need a solid confirmation."

"......Orange, I really can't understand what you're trying to convey..."

"I have a plan to spend the rest of my life time together with you. But I need to hear your choice about it. Answer truthfully, do you want to marry me, or be inside the Core tank which that Prince has?"

Slaine's face turned to brilliant red in an instant. Her mind was completely blank as her head started to overdrive.

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From the couch she was sitting on now, Slaine looked across Inaho's family room. She was waiting for Inaho who was preparing their lunch. A kinda late lunch though, but the brunet had insisted for her to eat first before coming home.

She tried her best not to remember again what Inaho was asking before that.

The room wasn't decorated that much. The wall was soft brown, and the minimalist furniture was mostly dark brown. The black TV was off--Slaine didn't know how to turn it on as there was no sign of remote control anywhere. She saw a row of photos put inside golden frames put on a sleepy table near a book shelf. Curious, she got closer to see. 

There was a picture of one grown up man with one little boy. They both were wearing black suits, and the man's face was like the middle-age version of Kaizuka Inaho. She smiled, _'That must be the photo of him and his father.'_

She moved on the next portrait. There were 2 old man, one old woman, the same man in the previous photo, little Inaho, a couple of black haired man and woman, and a long black haired girl standing in front of that couple. All of them were wearing dark blue wizardly robes.

"It's a photo of Inazuka family."

"Wh..? O..Orange don't suddenly talked to my ear like that!"

"Lunch is ready."

"Ah..um...okay..."

"You have to eat your meals properly."

".....it's....uh--"

"And don't forget to drink your medicine."

"…" Slaine didn't say anything as Inaho dragged her to the dining table in the kitchen. This time, Inaho sat right beside her.

"I've made Earth-like food: feathery butterfly egg omelet rice, and jellyfish sandwiches. Eat them..." Inaho said as he poured orange juice to the glasses. "...and don't forget to answer my earlier question; it's important."

Slaine nervously looked at her hands below the table. "I....Inaho....I...I think that ....I don't have a future ahead of me..."

"Why?"

Slaine didn't answer. She just kept avoiding Inaho's stare. The brunet sighed. 

"I don't think you deserve any form of punishment."

"Wha...?!" Slaine angrily stood up and hit the table hard, "DON'T utter such nonsense, Kaizuka Inaho!"

"That's my honest opinion." The brunet calmly took a spoon of omelet rice, "Sit down, and eat properly. Open your mouth.” He offered it to Slaine, “Say 'ah'."

Seeing Inaho do it with his utmost usual expression like that, Slaine couldn't think of how to react. Why was this person in front of her was so completely _impossible_ to be understood? She knelt down as she lost the strength in her legs, looking down. "How...how could you think of...such a thing...?" 

Inaho put the spoon back on Slaine's plate, "You have died. You have been reborn. Started from there you were zero. And..." Inaho seemed carefully thinking of what to say next.

Slaine looked up. Now, Inaho was staring at her...

....tenderly....?

The brunet took a deep breath, knelt down, and firmly said, "Slaine Troyard, I want you to live happily. It's my selfish wish. But, would you please listen to it?" 

Slaine never imagined that Inaho would utter such request, "It's....it's just....that can't be! Don't you see the enormous sin that I've done?!"

"Just like what I've said before. I don't think that you need to be punished for your so-called sin during your previous life. You have regretted it greatly; I can literally see the heavy burden you carry. Why can't you get over it now? It was war after all. You're just happened to be on the lost side; if you are the winner, you'll be branded hero. Such is the limitation of the law made by humans.” Inaho observed Slaine. She looked so angry that she’s unable to say anything. He continued then, “Since what we believe around it is rooted on different basis; we shall do no further debate as there will be no agreement in the end."

"But.....BUT--"

"Then let's change our approach here." Inaho took Slaine's right hand and made it touch his left eye, "This is the Mimir Eye. I stole this 6 years ago from my family's forbidden-relic vault to get tremendous power. I did so in order to be allowed to join Lunar Base frontier assault team, to save you."

"....?!?!"

"Do you wonder? Let me add it then; have you realized that this house--despite I still have family members alive--was too quiet? You do not see them. Where are they?" Seeing the scared expression of Slaine, Inaho continued, "No...they're still alive and well. Don't worry. It's just me who is banned to meet them--unless if it is for things that are work-related. Family Exile. 20 years. That is my punishment for the violation of Inazuka's regulation of stealing the family's heirloom."

"What...? I...Inaho....you.....?? No…………I'm...I don't deserve...no...." Slaine was crying now, "....you should not...why....?"

"Not need to worry. It all still happened within my calculations; indeed, I won't be thrown out from the family as I am their legal heir--both in the terms of bloodline and ability. And I have already capable of living on my own. It's not that bad."

"But....but...."

"Besides, I'm still able to talk to my cousin Yuki and my father as well as my uncle during works as we are Protector. You can say that I do not lose much except that I have to live by myself."

Knowing that, Slaine's body was violently trembled as she nervously grabbed her pendant. Tears were flowing like rain from her eyes. Why should Inaho go to such length to save her? She had realized the reason for his doings, actually, but it's just...no. No. She's still unable to accept it.

"That's only one example of how important your life for me is."

"Stop....please stop...."

"Now let's move to the next sample. When you were new to Ard, you unknowingly trespassed the forbidden sacred place. Cain risked his life arguing with the mythical beast so that he could bring you home."

"Please....please....just....stop....." Slaine began to realize what the aim of this revelation was. She couldn't take it further.

"Let's continue to the next, Mrs.Krucht--"

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Slaine grabbed Inaho's shirt, but she was too torn inside that she ended up clinging to him, "....I beg you...Kaizuka Inaho...please..."

Inaho hugged Slaine protectively as he kissed her hair. "Live. _Live_. Each time you wish for death, do remember that we have done--and we will do-- _everything_ to save you. Don't be an egoist who easily disregard others' feelings and don't be an arrogant one who likes to belittle others' hard work. Acknowledge us."

The pale blond was sobbing uncontrollably without a voice now. Inaho caressed her back and hair, trying to comfort her.

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Lemrina was so angry, but she knew that her brother was even angrier. Yes. He was mad, although he's now smiling; he was whipping the trees and the grass in the artificial park.

"Beating them won't change anything." The pink haired girl said flatly. The Prince kept lashing out to the rose bushes.

"I've self-destruct that one Slave in Arcanum; there's no way the Protector could possibly know this place through that now. Take it easy." Rina tried to swallow the bitterness of losing one of her Stygis Slave alone.

"It's not about that, my sister." The Prince turned grim. "I could easily build the new one for you."

"Really? Thanks. Hm.....then what?" 

"I never thought that Scandia's camouflage could be seen through..."

"Well, nothing's perfect. Aldnoah's included. It's just like that. Accept it."

"Ah.....If only I have much more power…"

"Why? I'm willing to work with you; we are powerful already! See that even one Slave alone was able to break through the Image World of A-level protectors."

".....just for a while as it got trapped again."

"W..well...a single Slave could fight wonderfully against 11 people. Imagine what they could possibly do if I move the swarm of Stygis!"

"I know...but I don't like violence."

That left Rina speechless for a while. Seiram saw her sister's questioning look. He continued, "there's nothing could be gained by coercion, whether it is peace...or love. If I force Slaine to come with me, I may get her body, but not her love."

"Then what do you mean by you need more power?!"

"I wish for strength that would make everyone who sees me feels that it's impossible to go against me. So they will agree that I'm doing right."

"Wow...I don't know that you have it in you, brother." Lemrina laughed a little, "but, even a complete unfair difference in power won't discourage anyone who has a strong will. Hadn't you learnt that from Earth during your previous life? The simpler plan is...to make everyone accepts your ideal. Preach it to the whole world."

".....I doubt that could work. Only a selected few could understand. People at Uisce _cursed_ me even though all I've done to them is for their own best future."

"Hm....what about...brainwashing...?"

"My sister, do you have a heart to do that on Slaine?"

"That's....an option...I would fight for another way, though..."

"It's the same for me. I love humanity. I try to evolve them to the best form with their individuality stay as they are. Brainwashing them without any clear goal will only sacrifice who they are to nothing. I don't wish that."

"Hmf. And yet you've tried to manipulate Slaine using her past. Still you call that love? Come on, brother, just give up and leave her in my care."

Seiram creepily smiled, "Not a chance, _my little sister._ "

Lemrina arrogantly smiled too, "it's the same for me, _brother_. Don't fret too much or I'll seize her without you realizing."

They warmly smiled to each other then. After that, silence followed. Lemrina swung her wand to heal the bleeding tree trunks and grass. Seiram caressed the blue rose.

".....I miss Slaine..." the Prince sadly whispered.

"Me too."

"You!? Really.... Imagine what I've been through going _all these years_ without her! You've got the chance to spend your time with Rain--going to school together, doing club activities together, working for stand at the festival......wait..... Just a second...." The blond prince was lost in thought. "...yes...that can be...since it was around hospital....probably she has back...if..."

Lemrina didn't like her brother's current train of thought. She could feel it; whatever he was planning now could risk her losing this fight over Slaine-belong-to-me things. Whatever he was planning now was definitely only profitable for him.

"I won't budge to you if it is about Slaine, never!"

".....well....what choice do we have...? We're against Inazuka Nao, and Ard village is a fortified distinctive-refugee shelter."

Lemrina rolled her eyes, "I know that Ard village is a wonderfully protected place, but it is breach able. You even have a handful of your men there. And why do we need to feel threatened by that expressionless Inazuka Nao?!"

"That Mimir Eye he has is one thing...but the most fearful one is his steel resolution. When he has set his eyes on something, he would do everything to get it, no matter what or whom he ought to fight--even the authorities."

".....I'm surprised that you know him much."

"We were companion in our previous life before, but things are far different now." Seiram said bitterly. _’No. If I have to state it precisely our fellowship had been severely worsened ever since during our previous life._

"Oh. Why? Because you're his enemy in war?"

"...Perhaps." _'But I doubt that it's his main reason...'_ Seiram remembered how merciless Inazuka was when they were fighting over Slaine in the Lunar Base. _'In his eyes he sees that I only cause her pain.'_ He mused. "I had cooperated with him during our previous lives. I have fought him in the Lunar Base in this lifetime. I know how to deal with Inazuka Nao better than you. So, please step back for a moment, my little sister. Endure. I promise I will bring our love one here. When she is finally with us, let's resume our.... _love war_."

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In Krucht resident, Cain, Mr.Thrill, and a young red head woman were eating dinner. The air wasn't happy at all. The only noise came from the clattering utensils. Cain slowly ate as he worried about his sister. Meanwhile, the red haired woman, Rayet Vee, looked sternly at Mr.Thrill; that made the old wizard choke every now and then. He didn't know that that red head history teacher could be this scary. He was sure that no one dared to fall asleep in her class.

"....what took them so long?" Rayet finally broke the silence. "I have to leave this night. I have _other stuff_ to do." 

Cain took a deep breath, "I hope there's nothing dangerous happened and they will come home safely."

"You worry over nothing. Perhaps they just got some additional task. Mr.Thrill, finish off your food. None shall be left."

Hearing that, the old wizard hastily picked up his spoon again. Oh how he missed Mrs.Krucht's food!

"Ah....just let me die..." He whispered sadly.

"Don't die. It's not like I care to you or something, but keeping you alive is my responsibility until Mrs.Krucht back home." Rayet couldn't understand why she was so easily irritated by this old man. As long as she remembered, Mr.Thrill had done nothing wrong to her. But, just by seeing his face her mood went sour.

A knocking sound came from the back door. Cain hastily went to the kitchen and opened it. There he saw Inaho and Slaine; the brunet looked disheveled, while the pale blond's eyes looked puffy. 

"Wh..what's going on? What has happened? Have you guys fight? Are you injured? Where's mother?"

"She will come soon." Inaho answered, and then he stared at Slaine, "Come on. Say it."

"??.......uh.....I'm..." the pale blond looked completely uncomfortable--eyes to the ground as she's unable to look directly into Klancain, but she tried to say it. "I'm....I'm home...brother."

Hearing such honest words, Cain smiled, "Welcome home, Rain."

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Mrs.Krucht heaved an awfully tired sigh, entering the back door of her house without knocking. 

"Ah, good morning, Mrs.Krucht. Thank you for your hard work." Inaho greeted her while he was frying an omelet.

".....what are you doing here, Inazuka? If you dare touching my daughter I swear I would serve _you_ as the breakfast."

"Ah, mother, welcome home." Cain who just entered the kitchen said. "Nao has been helping us guarding Mr.Thrill. Mrs.Vee had to go last night."

"Hm....." The lolita witch dangerously glared at Inaho. "I see. Good then. Where's my precious?"

"In her room." Inaho answered.

"Don't you dare snooping her !" Mrs.Krucht snapped before she walked upstairs.

"...."

"You've done that, haven't you?" Cain said without a voice.

"………………………… I had, sort of, stalked her since our previous lives."

Cain facepalmed, "You're so doomed if Mom knows."

".....it's during the life before…"

"I know, but do you think my mother would listen to such a reason?"

"No.” Inaho seriously looked at Cain in the eyes, “Don't tell her. I still want to successfully marry Slaine."

"I won't. We're buddies, remember?" Cain helped Nao prepared the table. "Besides, I've seen it how my sister is really precious to you. You are the one I trust to take care of her in the future." He seriously looked at the brunet in the eye. "Inazuka Nao, I'm counting on you."

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Cain, Inaho, and Slaine were walking to school. The brother was happily holding his sister's hand. He didn't completely know what had happened to her in Arcanum, but it's a good thing that now Rain was more accepting toward her family's care. She even smiled a little when their mother braided her hair. And she finally called her 'mother' before they went to school. Cain believed that Nina Kructh had to be wonderfully happy now.

In front of the gate of the school building, Slaine suddenly stopped and grabbed Inaho's sleeve.

"Orange, just like you can see. I'm going to school-- _a magical school_. So, don't you want to give me back my wand?"

Inaho wordlessly gave her a stick. It's similar to the Fabiola Rose branch, but it was just a common wood. So, when Slaine swung it nothing would happen.

"What do you mean by this? How could I study then?" She complained.

"Remember what I have explained to you back then? It still prevails. Easy. Just pretend that that is a wand during the class. I'm helping you. Don't worry."

"Please just give me my wand...I'm not...I'm no longer..." _'suicidal'_ Slaine's words died in her mouth. No. She couldn't lie anymore. She avoided looking at both Inaho and Cain, feeling ashamed.

"It's alright. Mostly today's lessons do not require a wand." Cain dragged his sister into the normal looking school building, smiling reassuringly. "Let's see....Magical Logic, Physical Exercise, History, Art, and Plantology. We are banned to use our wands in History. Magical Logic mainly teaches us theory behind magic; we only need textbook. For Plantology, unless we're dealing with wild-plant, we do not need magical conductor. For Art...well, we could think of something which does not require magic to create in that class."

"I see..." Slaine softly said. Recently she's able to remember things a lot, such as this world writing system and a bit of literature. She only remembered one of her classmate; one pink haired girl whom looked so much like Princess Lemrina. But, the memories around her were blur; the pale blond couldn't even recall her name. She knew now that not anyone could understand plant's language, but it seemed that she could. She's able to recall much of what she had learnt in Plantology, but she hardly knew things about Magical Logic and History. If only there were daily exams for those two subjects today she was sure that she would get double zero.

They were arrived at their classroom. It was still early morning; only 5 students in that place beside them. When the three students sitting in the center of that room saw Rain, they ran to her and greeted her. While the boy sitting next to the door just smiled at her, said 'good morning', and then got back to read his book again.

"Glad to see you back, Rain." A bob-styled black hair girl spoke.

"Are you alright? You look a bit pale...don't force yourself too much." A shoulder-length blonde hair girl uttered.

"Right, _vermoeid_ virus could be tricky; if you force yourself doing heavy works while it hasn't healed yet, it will multiply and become twice harder for the medicine to cure." The girl with short blonde hair said.

"I'm uh...." Slaine felt bad. The three seemed so care to her, but she didn't remember their names. "Thank you, but..I think..I'm fine now."

"Inazuka too, you should take care of yourself more. You've been down with fever much recently."

"Thank you for your concern, Reiss, but I'm fine now." The brunet shortly replied. Then, he saw a pink haired girl in the corner. She was....odd.

That girl was deathly quiet in her desk, looking at Slaine with tears in her eyes. The pale blond followed Inaho’s sight and finally realized her too--that is the girl who looked so much like Princess Lemrina.

"Is...is she alright?" Slaine was about to go closer but Inaho held her arm.

Inaho flatly stated, "I see that Rina finally come back from visiting her parents' graves."

"Yeah, it's the tradition of her home country during this season, and she has to visit two family graves. It must be hard for her. Moreover, her adoptive brother was also went missing...poor girl." The shoulder-length blonde hair girl looked at Rina, and then she realized that she'd been crying. "Ri..Rina...? Are you alright?"

That girl wiped her tears, smiling, "I'm fine...it's just..." _'it's been so long since I met her face to face again.'_ She stood and politely smiled, "It's a good thing to see you back to school again, Inazuka, Rain."

"It's....thank you....Princ--uh I mean, Ri...Rina." Seeing that short pink hair girl behavior, Slaine believed that, yes, Princess Lemrina had been reborn in this world a new. She's calmer now, and looked a lot more mature. She stood on her own legs. She must live a happy life now. The pale blond was happy for her.

Inaho observed Rina discreetly. He didn't really believe this girl as she was Yagarai's adoptive sister. But the report stated that she didn't lie when she said she was clueless of where Yagarai was now. And Inaho noted that she was born from a refugee family and then was adopted by a couple with clear record before she was with Yagarai. There’s probability that she was only being used as that Healer's 'nice man camouflage'. But then, why would Yagarai do so? He had enrolled in war before; he had got enough good reputation already. The team that was formed by Madgbaredge to investigate that Healer was also confused too.

In conclusion, Inaho felt it was necessary not to leave Slaine alone with that pink haired girl. Precautionary measure.

Besides, she was sort of his rival.

Just like what she did now when he and Slaine was walking to their seat; Rina was staring intently at the pale blond from top to toe, with an _annoying_ smile on her face. (Note: this is in Inaho's point of view) Well, yeah, he acknowledged that he himself _a little bit_ could be classified as stalker....but at least he didn't smile..well..uh...disgustingly faking innocence like that. Inaho tried to obscure Rina's view by walking right on Slaine's left.

But to the brunet's dismay, Slaine opened a conversation. "Um...Rina...? Why do you...look at me like that?" The pale blond checked her appearance nervously. "Is there something wrong...? Or--"

"You are wearing glasses now," Rina said before Inaho could interrupt. "And your hair is braided. It looks good on you."

"....?!? Re...really? Um...thanks..." Slaine was blushing as she hastily sat down. Inaho tried his best to keep his poker face. Deep inside he was burning with determination to give Slaine compliment far _far_ better than that. 

Slaine sat on her desk at the corner near the window. Cain was sitting in front of her, waving at someone on the schoolyard. Inaho was in the desk at her right, already glued on his tablet. She looked for, and took out the thickest book from her bag. It was the Magical Logic book. She tried to have a review, but it's difficult though; the theory book was heavy, hard-covered, and absolutely thick. She read its list of contents, trying to recall what she had known about this subject.

"Pssssst....Bat. Oi, Bat!"

She opened random pages. It was full of text and text and text...no picture or illustration. What a menacing book...

An eraser fell in front of her. It came from her right. She turned and saw that it was Orange. He had been trying to call her many times. Now, he was impatiently tapping at his tablet. It seemed that he wanted her to read what was there, so she did.

>   
>  My future bride. 
> 
> You are the most beautiful creature in my eyes, no matter what you are wearing, no matter how your hair is done. With or without glasses, your eyes rival the grand ocean. I am helplessly drowning. It's illogical, but that's what I feel every time I look into your eyes. 
> 
> …………………………………………………… 
> 
> ……………………………………………………
> 
> ……………………………………………………

There's more written to it, approximately 3 more paragraphs, but Slaine couldn't afford to read all as her body felt so _so warm_ and her head was dreamily light. It was impossible for her to think normally now. Oh, what Inaho had done! He had _defeated_ her with mere words...She really _hated_ how she turned out to be like this. 

"Are you done? I still have the next page." Inaho smugly said; he enjoyed this view of a super blushing Slaine with tears of shyness in her eyes...and she was biting her lips hard....and she was cutely trembling...and...

The thick book of Magical Logic landed on his face.

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Lemrina heaved a big sigh, staring longingly at the empty Tharsis Core Tank. She finally agreed with Seiram's idea. It's a bit risky, but he had a point too. If only he were discovered, they could pretend that Rina herself was innocent. That way they could continue doing their effort to take Slaine. Oh, but the Prince had high confidence in getting the Tharsis Core back without getting caught though.

Lemrina sighed again. There's no use in staring at the empty tank, so she decided to leave that cold room. 

She walked through the changing corridor in joyful steps. As she had remembered her past, she felt grateful that she could walk with her own legs now. Moreover she also had a family and a place to be called home. She hoped Slaine could join her family too, so that they could share many kinds of moments together.

She dearly wished for Slaine to come to this Eden Castle soon.

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\- to be continued -

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> if everyone was happy, songs would never be born  
>  so world, taint yourself in more vivid sadness.  
>  I found myself lost in wonder at the tears  
>  shed by one I thought so strong,  
>  glimmering in the winter sunlight.
> 
> even though you're right next to me,  
>  I don't understand anything,  
>  I can't do a thing for you, but I'll always be right here.
> 
> just an ordinary tiny bond will do  
>  we walk, softly falling into pace with each other  
>  if only we could think these love songs  
>  that play throughout the city even a little precious  
>  what a wonderful world it would be.

\- The Back Horn, "Kizuna song"  
Translation taken from www.jpopasia.com

Through sadness, bonds will be born--connecting people's heart with each other.

This world is filled with sadness, but perhaps, that's alright. 

As through sadness, people can be closer to each other, tied together in a strong bond; 

And love has its chance to bloom. 


	10. The School Life of the Prisoners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the title said it all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super-special-bloody-ly late m_ _m I'm truly SORRY T.T ...the chapter was heavy to write and my rabbit died; the feels clogged my mind. And I took another part-time job and still not really getting used to work 12+ hours a day, not to mention the house-chores (I hate do the laundry so much! X| ). But I need the money. 
> 
> I'm really really happy that you're still with me here, reading my story ｡◕ ‿ ◕｡ (*big hug)

[Guilt is...]

 

 

 

 

 

 

"..............Basic Record Symbiosis occurred in many parts of the world. It is interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both, that is based on its _Basic Record_. The example of this....."

There's no sign of how much time had passed. The clock only shown 'first lesson' time. The morning light gently showered the whole classroom. A long white haired teacher was pointing at picture on the floating white silk in front of the white board. A black orb was projecting a picture of thing that looked like butterfly being burned in red fire. Some students were listening, some were taking notes, and some were simply _escaped_ the classroom by daydreaming.

".......Basic Record is a part inside the _Core Celula_ of _Astral Framework_ which possesses the pattern of habitual instinctive of a species _recorded_ there. This is the _Core Celula_ of the Fire Butterfly." The teacher changed the picture into a white circular glowing thing with intricate cell-like part inside it. "The _W.W_ inside this core cellula--this white line--is the _Conveyor_ of _Systema Coda_. It transmits the _Local Digit_ which...." That teacher explained what were those parts called one by one and what their contribution to the whole Core Cellula and the habitual life pattern of Fire Butterfly. Cain took notes seriously. Slaine did that too although she didn't understand what she was scribbling. (She couldn't recall anything! Moreover, what Inaho had written on his tablet for her this morning made her mind occasionally went _blank_ ). Meanwhile, Inaho looked neither bored or interested: perfectly undetectable. Actually he had been reading the reports on his tablet anytime the teacher didn't glance to his direction.

"Any question so far?"

Just silence. Slaine didn't know whether it was because the students were all had understood or because they're so confused that they didn't even know what to say just like her. There were so many _alien_ phrases and _logic_ that didn't sound logical at all. 

_'I must be so stupid...'_ The pale blond retreated further on her seat, feeling ashamed.

The orb changed the picture into a dense crystal green landscape. The teacher continued.

"This is The Evergreen Forest at the feet of Mount Blue. As you could see, there are only Greeney Tree growing here. Greeney Tree produces O factor which is poisonous to human being. This is also why this forest is famous for suicide......."

Inaho hastily looked at Slaine. She was blankly staring at the picture of the crystal tree forest. She knew that the brunet was sternly glaring at her now.

".....I'm studying, Orange. Don't disturb me." She expressionlessly said without looking at Inaho, nor the book, nor the slide.

"....., .....corn, and even Blue Dragon. But, Fire Butterfly are able to live in this forest." The teacher changed the picture again; now it shown a picture of Fire Butterflies flying between greenish crystal trees. Those trees were homogeneous, and closer they looked so much like Earth's pine tree, only with sparkling leaves.

"Fire butterflies consume O factors in the air. In contrary with human and creatures that I have mentioned before, if there is no O factors in the place they are living, they will slowly dim and die. They need those poisonous air." That teacher explained with a smile. "Fire Butterfly could easily burn the Greeney trees, but they don't. And instead, they are protecting them. The reason why they do not burn away the forest they're living in is because, it's been written inside their _Basic Record_ , the _Logical Value_ of not to harm their sources of living--preserving their source of O factor. Mutual Understanding Ecosystem... Amazing magical logic isn't it? No matter how much I learn about it, it never stops to impress me. What about you?"

"Agreed, Madam Iris, mutual understanding life is amazing." Seiram, who disguised as Rina, said with a warm smile. _'Oh, why isn't human forged with the same basic record about not burning the forest too. Also: not to be greedy, not to hate, not to start war...'_ He kept his thought deep inside.

"Madam, those are really pretty butterflies. But I've never seen it as a pet. Is it because of the fire or the O factor thing?" A student with long black hair asked.

"Yes, you're right. Because they need factor that is dangerous for human being; they aren't allowed to be kept as pet. It's in their basic record that they need O factors to survive. You know we cannot change that."

"But why shan't we try to change that?" Rina suddenly interrupted.

Madam Iris looked surprised hearing that question. It seemed like an innocent one, but she got the feeling that that pink hair girl was..challenging the nature law...? The teacher carefully answered, "We shall not. Our knowledge for _Astral System_ is still verily limited. We couldn't even see whether we, humans, are possessing basic records too or not. We have to humbly accept that we aren't that great; that if we forced down our calculations, there were creatures that would suffer.

"…Hm....I see..." Seiram didn't retort further--didn't want to accidentally blow his cover over a heated debate. He sat down, and stole a glance at Slaine.

Madam Iris saw that. She realized that that pale blond student who sat at the right corner looked totally miserable as if that girl never imagined things she had been explaining before. "Any question?" She asked again, but that pale blond student only closed her mouth tight as she was blushing slightly. _'Ah, Miss Krucht is always shy to ask...'_ the white hair teacher thought.

Then, one student rise her hand. It was Rina.

"Yes, Miss Yagarai?"

"Madam Iris, would you please explain in a simple term about what _Astral System_ and _Cellula Core_ are?"

It was unusual for Rina to ask such lower grade lesson, but Madam Iris answered it anyway, "Astral System is an unseen framework, overlapping, but exist in different dimension, with the bodily framework, which can only be seen by special magical instrument. Cellula Core is the main controller of Astral System in a creature."

"And what about _Basic Record_ , Mam? Would you please explain it slowly to me?" Rina asked again.

Madam Iris smiled; she understood what Rina was trying to do now, "Simply said Basic Record is thing inside Celllula Core that store the knowledge of what-to-do for a being as long as it exist in this universe."

"I see..." Seiram looked briefly at Slaine; she seemed to brighten a little now.

Madam Iris smiled, and then heaved a sigh, "Alright then, draw a copy of Fire Butterfly Basic Record with the explanation of its contribution to the Evergreen Forest Ecosystem. Submit it to me next week. Any question? No? See you next week then.." with that, Mrs. Iris walked out of the classroom.

Slaine threw a glance at her Magical Logic book on Inaho's desk (after she had thrown it, she didn't dare to look at it again). That book had no illustration whatsoever. How could she draw the Basic Record of Fire Butterfly then?

"You look confused." Inaho suddenly talked. 

"Gi...give me back my book..." Slaine answered, avoiding his eye.

"....You won't be able to do the homework while you can't even utilize your book well. See! This underlined blue text here, if you touch it and close your eyes, you can see the picture illustrating this line." Inaho put that thick book on Slaine's desk. "Here. Try it."

Slaine looked at the opened page. There was an underlined blue phrase 'Fire Butterfly Basic Record' there. She touched the words and closed her eyes. She could see the picture of colorful piled layers and layers of paper-like things inside a knot of various 'silver threads' now. Those threads were crisscrossing the sillouhette of Fire Butterfly.

"Woah...I can see it! This is amazing!" 

Inaho was really happy that Slaine was now smiling, "I do not suggest you to follow P.E class today. But you shall follow Cain and me. I don't want to risk you wander alone in the school ground." He said as he put something on the book.

"But what is for P.E today?" Slaine asked, opening her eyes. "Perhaps I could join--"

"No. Get up. Let's go." Inaho said as he headed to the door.

Slaine pouted, and tidied up her desk. When she intended to close the Magical Logic book, she saw the folded paper that had been there. There was some writing on it. She could saw a bit of 'My Future Bride...' handwriting inside... And it seemed like it consisted of three sheet piled into one.

Blushing, she looked left and right, and hastily put it inside her skirt pocket before anyone could see what she had just done.

"What's wrong? Your face is red." Cain curiously asked, which Slaine only answered with the mumble of 'nothing'.

At the school's pool, Slaine waited with Inaho for Cain to change into his uniform. Slaine tried her best not to look at Inaho and the girls in their swimming suit.

"....You are a girl. Why do you feel shy over staring at girls?" Inaho said flatly as he sat on her left.

"Sh...shut up, Orange! I'm...I'm a boy..."

"Then, why don't you dare to look at me?" He scooted closer.

"Argh...just stop saying anything, Kaizu--"

Inaho covered Slaine's mouth with his hand, "Sshhhhh...here my name is Inazuka Nao. If you aren't used to it, just call me by 'Orange'..." He closed the space between them and whispered to her left ear, "Just so you know, the only person who call me 'Orange' is you..."

When Cain appeared, Inaho was rubbing his reddened chin while Slaine was as good as 3 meters from the brunet, hiding her heavily flushed face behind her knees.

"What's going on?" The blond boy asked.

"Just the daily argument of our class married couple." A girl with bob-styled black hair flatly stated.

 _'MA...MARRIED COUPLE?!?'_ Slaine buried her face further; she was unable to show her face to anyone. So this long time 'Rain Krucht' and 'Inazuka Nao' were that _close._ She definitely couldn't face Inaho again after she had heard about it. They were enemies! ENEMIES! They were enemies _who had tried to kill each other,_ right?

She felt her body's temperature was a lot warmer than before now, and her head was extremely light. And her heart beat rapidly as if in the marathon run. Her chest and stomach felt like they were filled with tickling butterfly. Such intense feelings that she felt like to cry...

But...

....this kind of daily life was too much....

Inaho was his enemy. Suddenly closed it to be 'married couple' was too much. Did Slaine Troyard deserve it? She/he didn't think so...

She/he knew exactly that he/she was Rain Krucht, but at the same time he/she knew that he/she truly was Slaine Saazbaum Troyard.

The more he/she felt happy the more burden of guilt crushed his/her heart. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....It's heavy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She/he peeped a little. The teacher had come. She/he couldn't remember her name, but she/he knew that she was a kind-heart teacher. She had bought her/him ice cream when she/he was little. Ah...right...Inaho was also bought him/her an ice cream too. And she/he ever went to an ice cream shop together with Cain and Mrs.Krucht in a town...

That town was far from beautiful; it was in thorough reparation; it was after war, it seemed. But although the shop was badly put together, the ice cream was the most delicious thing she/he ever had as she/he ate it with his/her _family_. 

Those were simple, but those were happiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Slaine Saazbaum Troyard was attacking Earth, just how much simple happiness as such had been plummeted?

 

 

 

 

 

 

How much families weren't able to reunite with their beloved ones?

 

 

 

 

 

 

He/she peeped a little. Now the students were studying how to stay underwater using bubble air magic. Some students just could do it for a short time and they hastily went to the surface for fresh air. Some boys were caught staring at girls and were given bubble air shots. Some girls were secretly adoring Cain's body as they waited for their groups turns. Inaho was on the side of the pool and... No. He/she didn't dare to look at that brunet.

He/she smiled. Bitterly.

A prisoner shouldn't have this kind of heartwarming school life. But...

But...

Slaine bit his lip hard and buried his face on his knees again, hoping that no one would realize that he was voicelessly crying now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Are you alright?" A gentle female voice asked. "Perhaps you should go to the infirmary."

Slaine shook his head without showing up his face. He didn't want whomever was her to see it. He didn't want anyone to see it.

"I'll take her there, Madam." It was Inaho's voice. A moment later Slaine felt a towel was dropped on his head and shoulders. Inaho(?) was concealing his teary-face from everyone and raised him up.

After walking for a minute, the expressionless voice muttered, "Sit down and wait for me here. I'll have to put on my shirt..."

"......think....fine...." Slaine mumbled, wiping up the tears using the towel.

"Hm? Pardon me?" 

"I...I think I'm fine now....you.....you don't need...I...I don't need to--"

Suddenly Slaine was face to face with Inaho under the towel. It was just for a short moment as Inaho put it down again; the pale blond couldn't decipher what was the brunet's expression just then.

".....let's go to the infirmary." That absolute calm voice demanded. 

Slaine let his left hand being held by the brunet; the towel was still covering his face, that's why he couldn't see where he walked clearly. But, he believed in Inaho.

....believing that opportunist for a short moment had resulted him being shot down at Tanegashima. Orange was a cunning strategist--a heartless one if he might add. But still...

He didn't let go of Inaho's hand that guided him now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho looked at the sleeping figure in front of him; Slaine was peacefully sleeping now. Her chest was steadily up and down as she was breathing. She wouldn't be awake for a while now; he had given her tranquilizers drug in the form of a candy. 

Inaho smirked, bitterly, of how simple Slaine was; she took it just like that without questioning anything first. It made him remember that in Tanegashima Slaine had helped him _just like that_ , meeting his every impossible demands right away. Slaine was someone who, during the time of war, pointed a gun _with tearful eyes_. Slaine was someone who _did not simply shot him although he was on the enemy side, but waited for him to point a gun back_. How could a person like that ended up 'being the villain' of Mars and Earth?

Part of him always wondered. He always knew. But he firmly ran away using his ultimate focus of present moment's what-should-be-done list. But still...

It had been haunting him...

....if only he didn't shot Slaine down at Tanegashima, would all this ever be happened? 

Would he be able to see Slaine, not-being-antagonized, living happily as a normal _simple_ person should?

_'Well, it couldn't be helped. It was war after all.'_

...such a lame reason, actually. Inaho smirked again. 

He was not a hero. In the Earth, those bullies who had endangered his sister, he couldn't be more careless of breaking their bones. And being 'kicked out' from the _home_ (orphanage) was a small price to pay.

He was not a hero. He just did _anything_ to protect his family and friends. He would use any possible mean if it brought about their survival, without hesitation. He didn't think twice to kill all the martian counts whom he should eleminate, resulting in the shut down of their landing castle which meant the high-possibility death of their subordinate inside (how could they fight back if they were attacked by UFE or any other landing castle? ). 

How many he had hurt? How many he had killed then? He couldn't have known; after all there's no use of counting it; it wouldn't bring the death back nor it could heal the pain. Besides, _it was war._

Slaine was right. He was kinda heartless.

Well, couldn't be helped. There's no thing such as mercy, or even justice, in war. All was down to simple logic: kill or be killed.

...but Slaine was crying as he pointed his gun.

...and he even asked with guilt ridden voice when the brunet visited him in the prison a life time ago: 'Your eye, is that from where I shot you?'

Inaho smiled, pitying himself.

Slaine had shot him in the eye. He didn't feel hatred nor bitterness about it. He knew he had simply deserved it.

And even in this second life, losing an eye for her was a normal payment he just had to pay.

The pale blond stirred, but she was still fast asleep. Inaho looked at her tear-stained face and a bit swollen eyes due to crying. Why had she cried? He couldn't exactly know; she only patheticly lied that she's alright, and hid her face behind the covering towel as he and the school doctor asked her about it. But, by putting together the moments before she cried, he could wildly conclude.

It was guilt: as she had seen the stark differences in the lives of a prisoneer and a _normal_ high school girl. Inaho knew he should not frontally confront her about her past vs present now. Yesterday they had already had a long debate about it and he knew it's tiring her.

It torn him to see Slaine like this. It hurt him that he had to use transquilizers to soothe her troubled mind. It pained him each time he saw her crying. But he accepted it.

Couldn't help it. Looks like it was one form of his punishment after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rina, or rather, Seiram, hatefully looked at Inaho who escorted Slaine out of the school pool. He worried sick that the pale blond's disoriented _astral system_ had badly damaged her body. Well, he knew that it was partly his fault as he had been trying to get her march to his side by using her past-life loyalty and guilt. But else, how could he got her to support him?

But it was Slaine's fault too! Why should she force herself to remember her sealed memories as 'Rain Krucht' although it pained her? Due to that she stressed out her astral and had damaged 80% of her internal organs in average. The worst was her eyesight it seemed. Of course, she remember moments gained mostly by her eyes, so when those were repeatedly sealed and opened by force, her eyes' system took the worst damage.

He had to take her, to tend her system, but how...? Inazuka and Cain securely guard her in this school; it's difficult to even observe her without Inazuka in complete rivalry glared at him back. 

The P.E time had over and both Slaine and the brunet hadn't come back yet. He thought of the possibility to meet Slaine in the infirmary, but what if Inaho was with her? And he was 100% sure the brunet was there. Actually, it would be better to wait for a little while until Inazuka and the other Area 11 Protectors no longer suspected her. Yes. He should be patient, and wait. Waiting was also one form of fighting.

He looked at the red hair teacher who had just entered the classroom. She was Rayet Vee. He knew that she was a Protector too. He had to be careful in her class.

Today she taught the students the war period when Uisce was trampled by the Vers. Its people, the Merman race, were wiped out as most of them died on the battle field and the remaining ones were changed into seaweeds. Perhaps, they were still Mermans lived in this world. Some said they see them at the cold Utr sea. Some said to see them at the warm Elta sea; Merman were turned to be Myth for this day generations. 

As Vers attack and UFR failure of protecting Uisce's people, Merman felt bertrayed. That's why they're hiding from humans now. Most of the classroom were blaming Vers for it. Seiram didn't say anything. He had already hated History; it only told the truth from the point of view which was profitable for the current government. Oh, they even didn't want to know why he should change Merman to seaweed. 

Merman and human being were better turned to be plants! Perfect peace would be achived that way!

Well, he didn't really care if these obnoxious people in the class didn't agree with him. What he cared about was Slaine now. He knew his _previous live friend_ would never heartlessly sneered at him like them now.

No. He didn't have anymore patience now. At lunch time after this History class, he intended to go to the infirmary to see Slaine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine opened her eyes. Her sight was blur; someone had taken her glasses. What time was now? Why had she been sleeping? She tried to remember but she couldn't; she felt calmer but a bit disoriented now, somehow. 

"How are you feeling?" 

Slaine was so used to that voice and that question that she didn't her eyesight to know who had just asked her. "Can't you use other words choice, Kaizuka Inaho?"

"Why do you never answer that question with a real answer? It's either a silence, or another question. Is it that difficult to just be honest to me? Why? What is the scientific reason behind it?" 

"?!?..........it's...it's not..... I...ugh...just...just shut up, Orange!" Slaine went blushing in an instant and avoided his questioning eye. Inaho didn't know why she behaved like that, but he felt happy seeing the pale blond was too flustered to think about her past.

.....her past...

".......you don't seem too bad. But, you should..." Inaho badly wanted to utter all what he'd been thinking, but he knew he shouldn't _'you should leave your past behind, though. I want to protect you from the chain of misery.'_

"....but I should...?"

"Hm....? Pardon me?"

"No...it's me asking you. What should I do, Inaho?" Seeing the unreadable expression the brunet displayed, Slaine added, "It's...I just want to know what you are going to say about it, that's all"

Inaho opened his mouth, but then closed it again without saying anything. He then hugged her without warning.  
"Wh?!?..whatdoyouthinkyou'redoing??" 

"Nothing."

"Orange!" Slaine _wanted_ to get away, but she just couldn't. 

"No. I'm not harming you. So don't go away. Stay here like this."

"Nnn...nopleaseit's just....ugh. Release me, Kaizuka Inaho!"

Inaho took a deep breath, and said, "It's the second. Haven't I told you that here my name is Inazuka Nao?" Inaho tighthened his grip. "And your name is Rain Krucht, for now."

"N..no...Inaho, I'm--"

"You _are Rain Krucht._ " Inaho hissed in a low voice. It's absolutely demanding, and sounded so....

...despaired...?

"Whwhat's wrong? Are you alright? Inaho?"

The brunet seemed like he was holding something back. He repeatedly took deep breath and his grip was tightened even more.

"?!? In--I mean--Orange, I'm sorry, I...I won't mistakenly call your name again in this school. But please....let me go...it's...hard to breathe."

Finally Inaho stopped hugging Slaine tight. He put her back on the sheet and tidied her hair.

"What do you want?" 

Slaine was confused. Was the brunet asking her? But why he sounded so cold?

Before the pale blond could ask, a female voice answered as the curtain opened. "I want to see her. I'm worried." And then Rina stepped in.

Inaho abruptly stood, and looked like he was shielding the pale blond from the approaching girl. "As you can see, she is fine now. Nothing to be worried about. Just get back to your classroom."

"What about you? Don't you think that you also need to get back to the class?" Rina answered with a smile...a haughty and cold one though. "You have skipped 2 lessons although you are not the one who is sick."

Slaine didn't like this _cold air_ displayed in front of her right now. She couldn't understand why Inaho and Rina had this kind of open rivalry; what did they compete about? But one thing for sure: it's suffocating to be near them like this.

"Um... I think I'm fine now. Thank you for your concern. I'm going back to the classroom." She hastily moved down from the bed, opened the curtain, and aimed for the doorway. Inaho quickly followed behind her, "It's lunch time, now. Not need to be in such a hurry." He said, but Slaine was walking even faster. She was outside of the infirmary now.

Yes. It was lunch time. Though without glasses, Slaine could partly see it: The students were chatting and eating happily in their classrooms. Some of them were walking through the school corridor with their friends, laughing like there's no sorrow in this world. The weather should be hot, but somehow inside this building felt cool. Magically perhaps. Slaine didn't see anything that looked like air conditioner device.

Before they reached their classroom, they met Cain halfway, carrying 3 lunch boxes--one was his and the other two were Nao's and Rain's.

"Are you alright? Is it okay for you to be out of bed now?" He asked to Rain, and frowned, noting the presence of Rina a bit behind Nao who walked behind his sister. The brunet had reminded him to be warry of that pink haired girl through the wrist wacth message.

"I'm fine." Slaine said, although it was strange that she felt...lighter? It's like something had slowed down her mind so that she didn't overthink...but what? Why?

"Is that our lunch?" Inaho stepped forward and took the Japanese-style lunch box from Cain.

"Yes. At first I want to bring them to you in the infirmary, but since you are here, why don't we have lunch outside?"

Suddenly Rina stepped closer and interrupted, "Why don't we have lunch at the back of the school? It's like a little forest, and Rain loves to see birds, don't you?" She looked at Slaine in the eyes.

"Um...." Slaine discreetly looked at Inaho. She could see that flame of rivalry's getting bigger. What's wrong with these two? And seeing their stong-willed stares ignited the pale blond's memories of the past; both of them had such agressive demanding eyes; Lemrina wanted Slaine to stay by her side, while Inaho demanded the fallen count to stay alive. Both were requests that she/he thought he/she did not worth enough to fulfill those wishes. No. He/she also did not have the slightest worth of having a peaceful school life like this!

"I don't....feel like eating. I'm sorry." Slaine intended to run away from all of them. But Inaho grabbed her right hand.

"Wait. Why? Where are you going?" That brunet asked.

"Just leave me alone, Orange, _please_!"

Inaho froze as Slaine was running away from him. Meanwhile, Cain hastily ran after her, carrying their boxes of lunch. When he was finally about to follow them, Rina obscured his way.

"Why? What's going on? What have you done to her?" Rina/Seiram angrily asked. "You've _harassed_ her at the pool, haven't you? What have you said to her back then?!? I know it; she has been crying! Then at the infirmary, what have you _done_ to her?!?"

"....I am not obliged to answer your questions." The brunet flatly replied. He opened his tablet to control flying glass-eyes surveilance to follow Slaine. "I'd like to eat my lunch in the classroom. You'd better leave Rain alone too; that's her wish."

But the pink haired girl was running to the direction where Rain and Cain had gone.

Inaho gritted his teeth, and secretly went to where Slaine was going that was shown by his gadgets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You have to eat!"

"No....I'm sorry. You have been carrying my lunch this far for me...but I can't..."

"Why?"

Slaine moved her eyesight to stare at the lock of the school's back gate. She couldn't afford to see Cain's sharp eyes much longer now. He looked so _so much_ like Count Cruhteo like that and it made her remembering many things about the past. Was Count Cruhteo reincarnated in this era too? 

"I'm...I'm sorry....I just...can't..."

"Rain! Rain, look at me!"

Was Cain angry? Was _her brother_ sad? She couldn't know his heart. She just stared at the lock; she had tried to opened it before, but it was locked by magic. Ah, if only she had her wand...she couldn't stand being inside this school! She should be in a prison!

Slaine felt her right hand was strongly grabbed, she couldn't let go. Cain dragged her to the nearest shady tree and force her to sit under it, side by side with him.

She could see it now; Cain was _mad_. He opened the lunch box and shoveled a hysteria trembling bread to her hand. "Eat it!"

Seeing Rain only blankly stared at the trembling bread on her hands, Cain gritted his teeth, "What's going on with you? This morning you're not this difficult! You ate your breakfast, let our mother braid your hair, and I could hold your hand all the way to the school. But now, even to have a bite of handmade bread filled with love you're so reluctant. Why?"

Well, why did she accept all those caring-family treats this morning? Influenced by the strange calmness she had been feeling, she answered the brother's questions with almost unheard voice, ".....it's my duty..."

"................What?! DUTY??? I don't need your _dutyfull smile_! What do you _think_ me and our mother are?"

Slaine was trembling. She bit her lip, hard. Now Cain was holding both of her shoulders, but she was still refusing to look at him in the eyes; she could not afford to see how angry the person in front of her now.

What had Slaine thought of Cain and Mrs.Krucht? Since they had sacrificed a lot for her, it's her duty to be more welcome to them. That's it. Simply a payback. She knew that that kind of answer was _heartless_. How could she say so? She _hated_ herself much more now; she always mocked Inaho about being that. But again, the _super-smart hero of Earth_ was right: who was the heartless one here, actually?

"......I'm...........ry"

"What?!?"

".....I'm.....I'm sorry...."

Cain took a sharp deep breath, "I'VE HEARD IT ENOUGH ! I don't need your _sorry_! Rain, _you are a part of this family!_ Can't you understand that?!? We want you to be _genuinely happy_!!!"

Tears slowly streamed down her face, voicelessly. Her breath was shaky and she was unable to even try to look at Cain at all. She mumbled something; the brother couldn't clearly get it. But she seemed to repeat it over and over again. So, he tried to know the words by reading her lips. 

What could he read broke his heart, tremendously.

'But, I am a sinner. I don't deserve to be happy.'

He never ever imagined that his sister's psychological condition could be this _bad_. How come she became like this? Oh, what should he _do_ now?

Cain took a deep breath to calm himself. He then made his crying sister to stop mumbling by pressing her face to his chest. 

He then lowered his head so that now his eyes were at the same level with Slaine's eyes. Her eyes were puffy, and glazed by tears; the brother really couldn't stand to see that. 

"Listen....just...please, listen to me, Rain...don't...I say, don't you ever utter such words _again_. You have right to be happy--"

Slaine shook her head hard. She raised her hands, covering her ears. But Cain put down her hands right away.

Why...? No one. No one would understand what she felt right now. A sinner like her did not deserve any form of happiness. It's like a nature law to her: the undeniable truth.

Cain gritted his teeth, "Rain, let's go home now." He hugged his sister, protectively, "Let's go home...let's go home and meet our mother." 

Cain forcefully walked her to the back gate; she couldn't let go. Slaine could only weakly shook her head now, "No....no...."

"Yes. Yes, you heard it right! _Our mother_. You are her daughter and I am your brother. No matter what we _won't let you suffer!_ "

"Nn..no..No....You don't understand.....I have...killed many people of Earth... Mars--"

"Earth...? Mars...? Rain, please, how could I understand?" Cain tried not to shout, "I am Krucht. I CAN'T see the past life at all...!" Cain forced Slaine to look at him in the eyes. "But I do understand this basic rule: we do not own the past as it's _already over_! Let it go! There's no use of keep thinking about it; replaying it over and over again in your head will not change what had happened! What more important is to built the future using this present time!"

Silence. The bell signalling that lunch time had been over could be heard. Slaine stared at Cain. She knew, just like when Count Klancain refused to be on his side during the 2nd Earth-Mars war, this time too, he, as his reincarnation, Cain, _refused_ to agree with her.

Slaine's mouth was tightly closed as her eyes slowly turned blank. She was dissappointed. She was angry. She hated herself. She felt alone. She was sad.

Sad.

But strangely all those feelings just stirred silently like a surface of a deep deep lake. What's going on with her nerve system?

Cain circled his arm around her shoulders along the way and she just let him do it. They were walking on the stony pathways, toward _their home_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seiram had been secretly following Cain and Slaine since they were at the school back gate. He was worried, but he couldn't do anything as Cain wasn't someone he could manipulate using the past. Besides, he knew that Inaho had been stalking on them too. Getting into the brother and sister's heated debate now would only risk his cover to be blown up. Although, yeah, there were many things that he wanted to say to Slaine regarding to their past.

Then, he saw both of them got out from the school back gate. Not so long, Inaho passed in front of him who had been hiding behind the tree. The brunet threw a menacing glare at him. It was filled with hatred, just like his eyes when glaring at Seiram Vers Allusia. The brunet soon went out of the school too.

Seiram clicked his tounge and had no option but to get back at the classroom. Abandoning school to stalk Slaine now would only raise the suspicion towards 'Rina' more. He had to be patient...but still....

Seiram realized that it would be _impossible_ to talk to Slaine in the schoolground as long as Inaho kept _glued_ to the pale blond.

But, he still have other way...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The brother and sister were walking through the road where the sunflowers were standing like soldiers on their right and left. The path wasn't paved, so it's dusty and there're bit of purple grass here and there. The sunflowers were swaying happily, while the grass was murmuring something Slaine couldn't quite catch; their voices were too low. She tried her best not to step on them while she walked.

"Are you alright? You walk slower than before...are you tired? Do you want me to carry you?" Cain stopped and gently asked his sister.

Slaine shook her head, still looking at the grass beneath them. Her lips were tightly closed, thinking that this Klancain shouldn't be this warm to her.

Cain heaved a sigh, and held her right hand again. They walked side by side like that; Slaine was too tired to respond. The heat was really something...

She tiredly looked at their joined hand, and mumbled, "Why?"

"Why...what?"

"Your hand. You really like to hold my hand. Why?"

Cain stared at his sister who's still gazing at the ground for a long time before he answered, "Because I don't want to lose you."

Lose...? As if she was that easy to get lost. ".....I'm not a kid, and so are you. Don't you think that--"

"No! I don't care what people say; you are my sister and I won't let you get lost again!" Cain's grip became tighter. Slaine was astonished by his sudden change of tone that she looked at him. His eyes were filled with solid determination that Slaine couldn't protest about the hand after that.

But...still...

"Bro...ther...."

"..? What is it, Rain?" Cain slowed down his pace, trying to walk with the speed that wouldn't tire his sister much.

".....there's...something...I want you to do....please..." Slaine bit her lower lip, "...please don't be too kind to me..."

"Wha--?" Cain's words died in his lips as he saw the tears that were threathening to fall in his sister's eyes. Her eyes locked to the ground as she tried to release her hand from him. "Really.....I don't...deserve to--"

Cain tightened his grip on his sister's hand, "No! I refuse! In your eyes, you don't feel you have the right to be happy. But in _my opinion_ you are born to be smothered with love and care."

Slaine smiled, but Cain didn't like it; 'cause it was bitter one.

He held both of his sister's shoulder and looked at her seriously, "Why are you so chained to the past? It's already over, why should you still suffer because of it?"

Slaine tried to avoid his authoritive glare. He looked so much like Cruhteo like that; she didn't like to remember that man.

"Rain, answered me!"

"...stop calling me with that name...."

"No! Why should I? Your name is Rain now, not Slaine!"

"No...no....you can't understand--"

"IT IS YOU WHO CANNOT UNDERSTAND!"

Tears were streaming on the sister's face now, "St...stop screaming at me...you look so much like him..."

"What? Who? Someone from the past?" 

Without looking at him, with blank eyes, Rain sadly nodded. She was sad, such a painful memories had resurrected, but strangely her head was so light. "Now you look just like him. You were his son after all. He hit me, and abuse me a lot. And you, his heir, had an important role in destroying dreams that I had been trying hard to fulfil."

Silence. Total silence. Even the grass and the sunflowers now were paying attention to what's actually going on between these two humans.

"......" Cain was trying hard to form words, ".....I had......hurt you....."

No response. Rain was still blankly looking at the ground. Tears were no longer streaming, but her state of trying to distance her mind from reality was saddening her brother, more than anything.

"Then...hit me!" 

Rain snapped. She looked at Cain, puzzled.

"Hit me! Kick me! Whatever! I'll accept any form of punishment! Just...please...Rain..." Cain held both of his sister's shoulders, "please...don't you ever think that you are all alone in this..."

"Punish...ment?" Slaine sadly smiled, "No...not need."

"Rain!?!"

The one who's being asked laughed a little, ".....why should I punish you? No use of it. It's all already over now...you can't even remember what was there in the past."

".....? Then, what about you? If you could overlook the horror that I'd done to you, why can't you grant forgiveness to yourself?"

Hearing that, Slaine only stayed silent.

The two were standing still; for a moment what could be heard were just the sound of the breeze and rustling leaves, until the grass mumbling something.

Cain gazed at his sister; her hair was a bit messy and her lips were tightly closed. There were traces of tears on her eyes and cheeks...she's no longer crying...

But her eyes were blurry and distant. 

Those were the eyes that were chained to the misery of the past. How come she's so willing for her freedom taken? Why must she punish herself severely like this?

 _'I am a sinner.'_ Those words she had been saying over and over again. What kind of sin she had just done in the past? Well, whatever that was, it's not something that his sister's gentle heart could forgive herself easily.

Now Cain understood why Inazuka had been greatly paying attention to his sister's past.

He couldn't help her if he was being ignorant to her true source of problem; it's her heart that was chained to the past: the feeling of guilt so big that he was unable to fathom. And by ignoring that fact, easily say 'just forget it', he wouldn't help anything.

Just what had really happened in her previous life? If only Cain could see it...but he couldn't...For him, the story of the past was just _a story_. It's even difficult to believe whether the said story was real or not.

Ah! If only he knew how to distract his sister's mind from thinking too much about the past! But he was _clueless_ of what to do! He badly wanted to hug her, to soothe her, but he knew that being kind would only hurt her even more now....what to do then?

"....the grass..."

"Huh...what?" Cain followed her sister's gaze at the grass under them. Her eyes went wide and tears start to overflow. The twinkle in her eyes, it's like she's coming back to live again. She crouched as if wanted to hear more what the grass was murmuring softly.

"Wh...what's with the grass?" Cain followed his sister's act, although he couldn't really understand plant's language.

"....through the silence...I can hear it..." drops of big tears fell on the purple grass, "they're.....they're...."

'It's alright'.

'It's alright. It's alright. It's alright.'

'So long as you repent, no matter how big a sin is, it's a piece of cake for the Almighty and Merciful God to grant forgiveness of humanly mistakes.'

Human's judgement is sometimes unfair, as human is just a human. To err is a human. But the Creator is never err as He is perfect. Look at all these nature law: how orderly and structured they're laid. How grand the world is that its secret is endless to reveal.

The grass were saying those as the sunflowers started singing their praise for the One who had placed the magical logic of the universe. Magical logic.....Slaine knew that she hardly understood things in this new life, but somehow that made her felt peace.

Somehow that fact made her feel that she was _never_ alone.

That The One is so great; He must have some ways for her to be forgiven.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho shot down the suspicious white butterfly near the wooden fence; a bunch of them had been surrounding the Krucht house for a while now. He went to the sleepy lily bush to collect its remain. Showered by the reddish color of sunset, it dissipated slowly into ash. But before it had gone, it's been cleared to the brunet that it was made of paper--just like the twelve ones that he had been taken down these noon.

Were those Seiram's doing? Inaho looked at the window at the second floor where Slaine's room was. She had been secretly crying since she was there. Would she be alright?

When the brother and sister had got home, Inaho joined them to give back Slaine's glasses and to accompany the pale blond facing Mrs.Krucht. The sister was avoiding him, but kept stealing glance at him all the time when he was there. What was her problem? Why did she look so sad? Inaho greatly hoped that he wasn't the cause of that...

And he hoped she would stop sobbing quietly, alone, in her dark room now. 

Albeit Slaine's mental condition was somehow better than when Inaho had found her crying at the pool, the mother was so sad hearing what her daughter had said to Cain at school. Nina Krucht was so desperate that she expressed it into a long long devastating speech. The pale blond could not begin to argue at all until the end. Mrs.Krucht _ordered_ her to stop being so stubborn in things that were _bad_ for her. She forbade her to go out of her room before she could fix her so-called-sinner's mindset (that was how the lolita witch labelled it) and moved on to this present time already. For the mother, Slaine was her sweet child, so shit with the past. Period.

 _'Prison. Punishment.'_ Inaho thought, _'if Seiram knows about those thoughts of her, he could use them to make her give herself to him.'_ He looked at the apple tree which grew near that closed-curtain window. He hastily destroyed a paper butterfly which has been flying there. _'I won't let him take her! These butterflies seem like a bad sign. I had to be extra cautious tonight.'_

As the last reddish light of the day gone, Inaho shot down the paper butterfly that was going to land on Slaine's window sill with his voiceless light gun.

 

 

 

\- to be continued -

 

[Guilt is...]

 

[....what makes human...human]

 

Q: How could Inaho know that Slaine was sobbing quietly in her room? 

 

Me: It's a common knowledge that Inaho was level SSS stalker if it's about Slaine. What device(s) he had used? I leave that to your imagination...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter would bring the end...wish me luck for the final chapter ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ I've grasped how to deal with the works, but still I don't know what tomorrow would bring for me to face. So, please, wish me good luck. m_ _m
> 
> And again.. THANK YOU VERY MUCH \^o^/
> 
> Ah...and perhaps one time or another I'll post story around Aldnoah Re:live universe or other alternate universe of AZ. When that time comes, I'd be really thankful if you read them too :D :D :D xD
> 
> I wish you happy life and good luck ^_^


	11. Re:live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terribly sorry that I've been bloodily late m_ _m No, it's not just bloody late; I guess it's like I'm coming on the boarding school when the final exam is started. So terrible T.T ...but for me it's better be late than I wrote something that my inner director didn't approve the story with crazy smile on face. 
> 
>  
> 
> so here is the last chapter, get prepared for approximately 14.400 words xD xD xD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seiram gritted his teeth. He was unable to reach Slaine through Soul Art Re:live System as all the mediums he sent--the paper butterflies--were being shot down by a certain brunet. Moreover, that Inazuka was taking turns in guarding the Krucht house with other Protectors who stayed nearby that place.

He had no other choice but to talk to Slaine through dream. Well, the last time his dear childhood friend seemed so reluctant to talk to him by this means. He couldn't understand why, but she seemed to distrust his 'Princess Asseylum' image back then. Why? He couldn't comprehend it...

Then an idea came to him. It might be a little too roundabout, but at least he had to try it first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine opened his eyes slowly. Had he been asleep? He didn't feel like it as he hadn't seen any dream. So, was it a dream that he was in now? He couldn't make sure. The traces of tears on his cheeks felt so real though.

He was.....in a place that looked so much like a prison cell. That place was dark. He was lying on a hard mattress, and he saw steel bars when he looked at his right. The only source of light was the dim one coming from the stony aisle. Definitely, he was incarcerated, but this wasn't the place he was kept in as a dead-to-the-world prisoner before. Had he been moved? Or...

Was it just a mere dream? 

No. What if he had been back to reality? 

Had he finally woken up from that dream where he had a loving family and Kaizuka Inaho was a school boy who was always pestering him? 

Slaine smiled, a genuine one. He was sad that that nice dream had been over. But it was a nice dream. It was really warm there. He didn't regret it. Now he was going back to live behind the bars. It was his punishment. He accepted it, and he waited for his death sentence to come...

.......

 

Would Inaho come to visit him tomorrow?

.........

Slaine smirked, and then laughed a little; what would that expression-barren brunet's reaction be if he said _'hey, I just have a dream where you proposed to me'_? Ah...he really wanted to try to tell him that! He wanted to know how that brunet’s absolutely-insulted face was!

He was tired, but he forced himself to get up; he was still wearing a girl school uniform. It's sweaty and he started to get uncomfortable. So it would be better to continue sleeping without that shirt....

...............................

...............wait. 

Slaine hastily buttoned up his, no, _her_ shirt. Really. She's having a 16 years old girl's body now! _What the hell was going on?!?_

"Slaine."

The pale blond gasped, and turned. It was princess Asseylum who had called her. She was outside this dark cell. The soft light showered down upon her figure, making her looked just like unreachable-deity as she remembered that Vers princess was.

For a moment or so the pale blond didn't know what to say, or what to do. Was that person really princess Asseylum? Was this moment, when the princess being here and staring at her—Slaine in a girl version, a reality? She was so confused. Moreover, the Vers princess, under the dim light, was gazing at her with expression she couldn't decipher. It was........sadness? Coldness...? .....disappoinment.....? 

............loneliness?

And the prolong silence didn't help at all. What should the pale blond said in this circumstances!?

Princess Asseylum took a deep, heavy breath before she said in a low tone, "I couldn't change you."

Slaine held her pendant with her right hand; somehow this princess made her felt...scared (?) "Change...? Princess Asseylum...what do you..mean by that?"

That princess smiled, bitterly. "I couldn't change your appearance here. That means, deep inside, you have taken yourself as the reborn-you: a girl from the Krucht."

"I...." Well now how should Slaine react to that? Did he really take himself as a girl now? He didn't think so...but did he? He couldn't even make sure what he felt right now about it. _Who was she/he?_ "......I'm....I'm sorry, p..princess Asseylum.... I don't…really understand..."

Asseylum tilted her head, "Yes, deep inside, you've accepted to live for the present, just like … _them_." The last word she spat out with hateful low tone, really didn't look like it's princess Asseylum who had just said it. And still with much darkness in her voice, she added.

"Are we allowed to do that, Slaine?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine stopped thinking. 

Whoever he was right now, it didn't matter.

He had deceived, he had stolen, he had killed.

He had waged war. 

That's the ultimate truth.

.....but her appearance hadn't changed....she was still having slender, girlish hands; her hair was braided, she was still wearing her school uniform....and there was something in the skirt pocket...

Asseylum grabbed and shook the black steel bars, "Slaine, we cannot do that! Our past mistakes could rival the mountains of Mars combined with the grand ocean of Earth. They were such a great debt! There's no way to pay for those sins except by orchestrating the eternal peace of Realta. You have to help me, Slaine."

Slaine avoided that pleading look. She knew it. She knew how impossibly big her sin was....but.....

But...

She nervously grasped the pendant on her chest with both hands now. As she did that, she saw her slender, girlish hands. 

.........Cain always held her hands...

She touched her braided pale blond hair, feeling its soft texture; Mrs.Krucht loved to brush her hair....

.....and then she grabbed her skirt pocket where she had kept the paper, _the love letter_ , from Kaizuka Inaho....

Slaine bit her lips hard as she was lost for words. She felt like to cry; but she didn't know it was because she was happy or sad or confused or feeling guilty.

"Don't you need to redeem?" Asseylum slammed the steel bars. The clanking sound was echoing louder and louder. The light was slowly gone. The steels were corroded more and more, and the stony wall became red with dripping blood. The sounds of blast and distant screams were heard. "You are a sinner. Just like me. You have to come with me; we must pay for our sin, together." The white princess gown slowly turned into the red and black military outfit. "Only I know the way of the perfect peace."

This way of thinking....and this kind of environment....Slaine knew that, no doubt about it, the one in front of her now was...

"Princess Asseylum..." Slaine grabbed the paper on her skirt pocket tightly, raised her head, and dared to look at the prince in the eyes even though her legs wanted to give away. "No... _Prince Seiram_ , please...please stop! Don't go changing people into plants! It's painful!"

"Slaine! Don't you think what you're saying?!? The pain will be just a small price to pay! I try to stop war for ever raging again! You have to support me!"

"But it's painful! It hurts!" Tears streamed like a river on the pale blonds’ cheeks now. "We are not created to be plants! We are humans--" 

"Human is a defective creation! We have to evolve to be a better, more peace-loving form!"

"But why...thinking so….. _we are only humans!_ We have a big potential to err. That's what we are. I know in this world...we have what's labeled as 'magic', but still, we were not the One who had created this universe... Are we qualified to evaluate and criticize how things going on here while we have not known _everything_?" Slaine fell on her knees; Seiram looked utterly mad and he was absolutely fearsome. But, she still continued, "please...I beg you...throw away those thoughts of playing God while we can't even choose who we are born as..." well yeah, she hadn't even understood exactly _who_ the person she or he was now. Rain? Slaine? The only thing she was sure now was that human should not changing other humans into plants. 

" _Slaine Saazbaum Troyard_! I never have a slightest thought of _running away_ from the responsibility of my sins, just like what you're doing right now!"

Running away? Was she? Those words hurt, really hurt, more than anything for Slaine now. She shook her head in despair, "I don't mind if I were to be punished severely for what I have done in the past! But...but what about...But what about you--the you--that is here, now?" The image of Inaho, Cain, and Mrs.Krucht flashed in her mind. She still remembered clearly how they were so **upset** by her always clinging to the past. "Who is your mother in this present life? Ah...I'm sorry, you've told me once that you do not know your real parents here...but still....do they want you to sacrifice your future here, for things that have been--long time ago--gone? ..... The first Emperor of Vers took you in right after you were born....You've been set by the Vers to live for the past....But I don't think that it is _fair_ for you....You have the right to choose your own future. You were born as _human_ , not as Asseylum Vers Allusia." Slaine couldn't believe she said this, _she couldn't believe she had said all of this,_

...but she did; Slaine could not forget how Nina Krucht, _her mother_ , were angry and cried for her last night; how Cain, _her brother_ , was so shocked by her denial words yesterday; and, how Kaizuka Inaho-- _her long life enemy_ \---had stubbornly stayed beside her all this time. They had been doing their best for her to be free from the chain of misery. Living for things that had been long time gone would only hurt them, who struggle at _the now_. That's why, albeit her heart was torn accepting it, she could utter,

"I know that the unchanging past won't be erased. That would be forever be a part of our history, we must live carrying this pain of regret for the rest of our lives....but....please...Please remember that _we are also a part of this present_. We have to acknowledge the love people around us _in this given moment_ . Instead of locking ourselves in the past, we must focus to find out more about the new lives of us here, and give back the love that we have been blessed with."

"Slaine--"

"Prince Seiram, don't you want to find out about your real mother? Your real family? Your real companions if only you weren't dragged in by Vers? Don't you want to live free as yourself, not as the royalty of Vers? There must be another way to burn our sin... Stop your evolution plan...please...Do you really think Realta wish for that?"

Hearing that, Seiram Vers Illusia only stayed silent. His bangs covered up his eyes. His grip made the steel bars crushed. He bit his lip so hard that it bleed a little. He was terrible...but he was also filled with sorrow.

The dream started to crumble as the dark and red prince turned and retreated. Slaine was calling him over and over again, still wishing to talk. But he didn't answer nor did he even look back at her again. No. Particularly as he knew that she was crying for him.

And Slaine was engulfed in darkness as she was getting back to her dreamless sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fine morning, but Cain felt dreary. His mother seemed so upset with his sister that she asked him to bring Rain's breakfast to her room. The brother knew that his mother didn't want to continue their big fight last night. Mrs. Krucht regretted she had made her daughter completely sad by screaming and prejudging...but what had happened had been done. She wished she would never need to argue with her precious ever again.

Right, avoiding debate would be the best for all of them for now.

So, Cain brought the perfectly made toast and a glass of milk upstairs. He was a bit hesitated when he saw the closed pale-blue door of his sister's room. Would she become more upset seeing him being-kindly brought up her food? Would she want to eat? Would she cry like-a-wounded-animal again just like last night? He took a deep breath and knocked that door. "Rain, may I come in?"

No answer. For a moment Cain feared that his sister had been somehow run away from home. But then he remembered that Inazuka and other Protectors were guarding this house last night; Rain couldn't possibly escape from them; particularly as her wand was being confiscated by a certain brunet.

So, Cain opened the lock as quiet as possible. Wishing for a bright smile of his sister, although he knew it was impossible for now.

As the door opened he saw that his sister had been sleeping in a fetal position at the furthest corner of her dim room, on the cold floor.

"Rain..." the brother hastily put the tray on the nearest table and checked his sister's condition; she was fast asleep. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She was still wearing her yesterday's school uniform and her hair was totally messy.

Lost for words, Cain gently lifted his sister up and carried her to the bed. He opted not to wake her up. Who knew how much sleep she'd got? Probably not much.

But as he tried to tidy her hair, she woke up. Cain quickly put his hand to the side, worried that his brotherly act would upset her more. But Rain didn't say anything. She just stared at him with a look that he couldn't decipher. Was she sad? Was she angry?

So he tried to speak first, "Would you like to eat? It's mother who cook today; you know how delicious it is."

A single tear ran down the sister's cheek. 

Uh oh, what to do now? What had he done wrong? Cain was absolutely still as he didn't know what to do.

"....I don't know....." Tears started to overflow on her cheek now. "I don't...know..."

Cain was astonished. Why his sister suddenly said so? (it should be him) "What...? What do you--"

"I don't know..." Slaine clumsily looked for her pendant and grabbed it with her both hands. "I don't know....I don't know... " she repeated over and over again.

"Ca...calm yourself...it's alright, everything's going to be alright." Cain said although he didn't know the slightest of what his sister was thinking right now.

He didn't know that Slaine was so _lost_ ; 

she knew--as she had told Seiram through dream before--that she had to focus her life for the present; she had to let go of the past--but she was helpless of it too; she was in pain, and she could feel that Seiram must be the same. She got it that they both need to redeem, but redemption through changing everyone into plants was certainly _a big no no_. She had to look for another way. Is The One that the grass and the sunflowers mentioned before had set out some ways to burn sins? She needed to know...but where and to whom she should ask? The people around her now were so devoted to make her forget about the past, they would never cooperate in this matter.

Really, how could she persuade Seiram to redeem through another way if she herself was clueless about it? Her mind was in a complete chaos.

She wanted help. She badly needed help. But, she didn't know how to voice it; the moment she saw the a-bit-blurry image of her brother the feeling of guilt that she had been being _this heartless_ to her family fell down on her like a cold waterfall. And her brother was kindly carrying her breakfast too. It was too much: he should not be that kind to a prisoner of war like her! 

Suddenly the window was opened, and the curtain was put aside. The light came in, and so did Kaizuka Inaho.

"Ah...good thing you have woken up. I have something to show you." That brunet said and casually came in and sat beside Slaine although no one in that room uttered permission or something: too baffled to react. 

He put his tablet on Slaine's lap, showing the image of a diamond-sand beach. "Pretty isn't it? Why don't we go there? Look at your face, Bat; you really do need vacation."

"Nao, have you forgotten? She may not step out of this room....Mom--"

"Nina Krucht took that decision in a storm of difficult emotions. If you try to persuade her when her mood is going well, there'll be high possibility that she will listen to you carefully and make a fair verdict. Slaine needs fresh air; your mother will realize it once she isn't clouded by grief."

"Orange.....I've made a mother sad.” Slaine pushed Inaho's tablet further. "....I....I don't deserve...to........"

Suddenly Inaho grabbed Slaine's hand and dragged her out of the bed. She was too confused to react.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Cain asked.

"We are going to negotiate with Mrs.Krucht _right now_. We have to do something about this ineffective punishment." The brunet said as he gripped Slaine'a hand tight and never let go, marching out of the room. Slaine couldn't protest much since she felt calmer now, somehow; Inaho held her hand like this, going downstairs to face her mother together....it's just...

....just like a lifetime before, when Inaho caught Tharsis's hand; they were falling, _from the outer space to the Earth_ , but the brunet was so calm and acted as if they were just walking together to come back home. Somehow he made Slaine felt at ease...even when, in the end, at the seashore when they had crashed, Inaho pointed a gun at him. The fallen count felt at peace--facing the death--since it was that brunet who was going to shoot....

...but the owner of that burgundy eye didn't do it.

...............was it one form of love too?

WHACK

KRRRTTTTT

The sight of Mrs.Krucht with a butcher knife on her right hand and a slice of bloody giant green worm on her left hand made the pale blond's body felt cold. Particularly when the full-fledged witch eyed her menacingly, 

"Who told you can go out of your room? Oh, or have you made up your mind about the past and stop being suicidal?"

"...I.....I....uh...."

Inaho gripped Slaine's hand tight, "Mrs.Krucht, may I take her to the diamond beach of Rune island? Locking her in her room won't do anything to her overstressed mind. She needs to see the world; how big this universe is; and burying her in that room, doing nothing, won't change a single thing: not the past, and never the future. It's only wasting time. Having fun outside, like walking along the coast, is a better treatment for her."

Well, Inaho said those while looking straight at Mrs.Krucht, but still Slaine felt hurt by his words. If only her legs weren't trembling, she would trample those black shoes of his right away… But no. She could only throw a disappointed glare to the side, feeling that Inaho had _never_ understood how big her sin was! How come she should just-take-a-stroll watching the seagulls and the sea? Slaine really hated that _annoying_ Orange's plain expression at this moment.

"Shall I remind you that she isn't allowed to step out of this village due to her being targeted and her stupid suicidal mindset? It's so unlike you to forget things..." The magician cook threw the big knife up and perfectly caught it again and again as if it was a ball to play juggle with.

"Mrs.Krucht, you know well that I can manage to take her out without the Leader knowing. Moreover, we are going to one of the private beach that I have. I can assure you of its security system."

Sound of the butcher knife cutting the green flesh into mince meat was echoing throughout the kitchen. "Oh, so when the danger comes toward her, you'll be _the only one_ knight in the shining armor for her, won't you?"

Without being bothered by the mocking tune, the brunet answered truthfully, "I am. Ever since the day when I finally understood my feelings toward Slaine, I knew that whatever means I should take, I must protect him..or for now, her. No matter what."

The sound stopped. A moment of silence. Mrs. Krucht turned, and stared at Inaho and Slaine. She noted at their joined hands. Her daughter seemed like both angry and bashful, but she didn't let go of the brunet's hand. 

.....Slaine didn't let it go, 

.......although actually, if she really didn't want that brunet to hold her hand, she could just snap it away, and then escape....

The lolita witch caress the butcher knife as if it was a cute doll. "Hmmmmm…… I see.” She took a deep breath, and said, “If you fail to protect her....my hobby is chopping meat, you know...." She turned back to the kitchen's table. 

"I want her to come home before dinner. And don't forget to make her eat breakfast and lunch. And don't let her swim at the sea alone. Oh wait! No! She must not swim! I won't let you leer at her in the swimming suit! So, no! And Cain must go with you too! I won't leave you alone with my gullible daughter! Take care....and don't you dare coming home late!" 

"Very well. Command accepted." Inaho bowed deeply, "I am so very grateful that you allow me to hold your daughter's hand."

"......tsk...........wait." Mrs.Krucht looked toward her daughter and softly said, "Go home for dinner, won't you?"

Slaine avoided that motherly look. It was too much....But before she said anything Inaho spoke up, "The most delicious food in this world is what we eat with family. I will make sure that she is _home_ to taste it." He stared at Slaine in the eyes, tightening his grip. There's something in that look which made the pale blond felt that this wasn't just about going back before dinner time. 

" _You will be home._ I'll make sure of it."

And so, Cain, Slaine, and Inaho began to prepare for their trip to the beach, without realizing that a white paper butterfly was hiding behind the narrow crevice of the kitchen's cupboard; it had gotten its chance to get in as Inaho had left his spot to cheer Slaine up back then...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No seagull in the sky, but the white could was majestically arranged above them. The soft white crystal sand was twinkling under their feet; it was like a warm snow that didn't melt down under the sunlight. Inaho and Slaine were walking in silence, while Cain was swimming heart fully in the sparkling blue sea.

Inaho's right hand was holding Slaine's hand tight, and his other hand was busy with his tablet. He needed to make sure the security system this place had been working perfectly. Meanwhile, the pale blond's mind was filled with what Inaho had said at the kitchen back then.

 

'home'

 

Slaine's heart beat rapidly remembering that word being uttered by Inaho, for her.

She felt like to cry. But it wasn't because of sadness...so....why? Why could she feel like this? What was this feeling?

She quietly looked at the brunet at her left, with the image of a cozy house as his background. His eyes were still locked at his tablet, but his hold on her hand was a firm grip.

A home......with Inaho....

The feeling was so intense that Slaine tried not to look at both the house and him. And his expression was as Inaho as ever. Damn.

"Slaine Troyard." All of the sudden Inaho stopped, let his tablet just float and looked at Slaine in the eyes.

"?!?!? Uh...um....wh..what...?"

"I am waiting for your answer."

"Hh...huh? What do you--"

"That question whether you are willing to marry me...." _'or not'_. Inaho avoided to mention the 'no' possibility as, yeah, he couldn't take that as Slaine's answer. He simply couldn't. He didn't even want to mention it as he didn't risk to ever gave the pale blond even a slightest idea of refusal.

He carefully analyzed her facial expression (he didn't wear the eye-patch now). He tried, but he failed as Slaine's eyes had captivated him. He couldn't describe how he was struck by the gentleness that's shown through them. When the bright red Slaine moved a bit as she was too stunned to hear that question again, _right here right now_ , the sunlight reflected on her glasses and obscure that ‘grand view’. Feeling disturbed, the brunet took the glasses away.

When Inaho’s skin brushed Slaine’s cheeks a little, it burst. 

All the feeling Slaine hadn't yet sorted in her heart. And the view of Inaho pocketing her glasses was so...

She caught his hand, and stared deeply to those burgundy eyes. Slaine didn't know what kind of face she was showing to Inaho now. And although her sight was a bit blurry she knew that, _damn it_ , he was smiling. 

Gently. As if he had accepted all the secret of her heart directly through some sort of magic without her saying it, right into his heart. He said, "I'm glad." 

Inaho picked a circle thing from his shirt's pocket.......a ring (?). Before Slaine could process what it was, that brunet inserted it to Slaine's finger. 

Yes. As she saw it on her left hand it definitely was a ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time stopped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, not literally. It just felt like that for Slaine. For a moment or so she just staring at that..... _thing_. Oh, she was so nervous to even describe it! And now she looked that Inaho picked another matching one and made her hold that......that _thing_!

"Now, put it on me." He lightly offered his hand as if it was not a life-changing deal at all. 

".......................................Kaizuka Inaho.......you............."

The said brunet gleefully made Slaine put that ring on his finger. "Ok. Now we just need to set the date. Oh right, I have to tell your mother first about it."

"But?! But...." Slaine was about to step backward but Inaho held her arms and closed their distance. She was unable to run away from his eyes. He was this close! She could see his face in absolute clearness! "......Ka......Kaizuka Inaho! How......how could you want me?!?"

"That's a stupid question that doesn't suit you. Don't you ever ask it again. If I do this and that to you, that means you worth it. Do remember it, Bat."

"B..b….b..but you should not! I'm a sinner!"

"That doesn't matter to me. I am not a holy being too. Do you think--seeing my naturally sweet innocent face--that I am an angel? No, I am not. I have _many things hidden_. So, we are equally sinners. Satisfied?"

".............................................."

"Why are you being so uptight?" Inaho tried to be closer than he already was, but Slaine's hand kept him away. "You must learn to value yourself more. I know it's difficult since you had been bullied severely in the past...but you shall remember: you are a person too; you have right to have your own thought and to fulfill your own need."

Slaine was speechless, those mesmerizing burgundy eyes were looking at her with....if she could be honest to her heart--they were filled with love.

But wait. "Orange, how could you know about my......past? Did you....did you _look through it using some sort of magic_?!?" Slaine was panicked. That would be so shameful!!!! _How far he had seen? How much?_

"I....." As they were about to live together, Inaho decided that Slaine would be better knowing. "I am Inazuka. In contrary to Krucht bloodline, our family special ability is to look at the past. And in the life before I --wait!"

Inaho hugged Slaine tight as she was about to run away. "No! Don't go away from me! Please...hear me out! I don't care even if you have burnt this world to ashes, I would still stand by you! Your past isn't something to be ashamed of!"

"What?!? Kaizuka Inaho...do you realize what you're saying?" Slaine, breaking free from his hug, gripped Inaho's shirt and raised it up. "How come…how _could_ you defend someone who destroyed your home planet?!? Have you lost your mind? I never know that you could be _this heartless_."

"You didn't really destroy Earth. Why are you so strained about it?" Inaho snapped the girl's hand away and grabbed the hair behind her neck so that she couldn't escape his glare. "My point is, no matter what you do, I will not let you suffer through it alone. I'll keep you by my side, safe and sound, no matter what was there in our past. And stop asking why as the answer is clear!"

"Wh....what do you mean by that...? I...I don't understand! Let me go, stupid Orange!" Slaine, with a totally red face (Inaho's lips were too close!), pushed his face away, broke free, and ran. But in not that long Inaho jumped and hugged her waist and so they fell on the twinkling sand. 

The beach was so beautiful and romantic place....

......and the two were _fighting_ on it.

And as there they were, _doing their usual routine_ , Cain, whom had just finished swimming, looked at that _odd-but-romantic scene_ from quite a distance.

He truly didn't want to disturb those two; yes, they were _fighting_ , but even a troll could see that they were _kinda enjoying it_. Barging in would make Cain felt like a naughty kid who disturbed a couple in their honeymoon. Oh, so so, NO. So, he ran back to the sea, created a magic bubble around his head, and dived under water. He swam and swam, hoping to get as far as possible from that place.

After quite a long time, both the pale blond and the brunet were running out of breath. They were sitting on the sand, and only able to look at each other without moving an inch. Slaine was unable to escape from Inaho as somehow during their fight the brunet had cast iron chains to trap her left hand to his. She bitterly looked and that black thing. And then, she saw that, on both of their ‘joined’ hands, from the twinkling, Slaine definitely notice the existence of their rings.

She opened her mouth, closed it, stayed still for moment, and cautiously asked, "...the...the answer.....why you are still _pestering_ me.....that's....that is because....." She knew the reason. _She knew it_. But still....

"Kaizuka Inaho, you....do...” Slaine took a deep breath and closed her teary eyes tight, “Do you......love me?"

Looking at completely bashful Slaine, Inaho easily said as if the answer was already programmed in his entire being for a long time, "Yes, I do."

And that had sealed everything.

As her body was sort of becoming weak, Slaine was about to fall face-first on the gleam white sand, but Inaho caught her. As she was unconsciously leaning on him, she mumbled out, "No....you are bright, dependable, a hero indeed....you should be with the best girl in the world....definitely not me...." Slaine said as tears running heavily from her eyes, "I have to go through punishment for the rest of my life....don't spoil your bright future with someone like me...just....just...." She looked at those eyes again. This close. Those burgundy eyes were so warm that she was unable to continue saying anything.

Inaho Kaizuka stayed. Patiently. Be beside her.

And then she remembered, it just like before.

Kaizuka Inaho kept coming back, visiting Slaine Troyard who was dead to the world from time to time...regardless whether it was a shiny or a rainy day. Ah...she remembered times when Inaho came, soaking wet. Why he kept coming although it was a rainy month? Why would he do so?  
(Ugh. if only Slaine did realize that Inaho was the type of a person who said 'hello' to a long-time-no-see sister through an intercom between battle was enough; the brunet came visiting in flesh and bone face to face starting-and-trying-his-best-to-maintain-a-conversation _asking to play chess_ spoke a million! Ah, and I didn't believe that he appeared drenched more than once when he was visiting Slaine was a coincidence [24,5 talk]. He was the all calculating person! For sure he had prepared an umbrella for that rainy month, _he just didn't fu**ing use it!_ What for? Ehm...since that wet-look had made Slaine commented on him...[it's 'yaaay, senpai notice me' scream of Inaho] Yes. I guess that's for it. Inaho always made a perfect _battle plan_ whenever he wanted to, for whatever type of _war_.)

....deep inside, Slaine knew....she always knew...

....and now that she started to be honest to herself...her feelings toward the brunet were too much to contain within her weak-human self alone. She hugged him back and buried her face to the fabric on his chest, crying and screaming apologize to everyone and everything. Still, those couldn't obscure her words of 

'I love you too.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho let Slaine cried, holding her in his arms. He was glad this time he got the chance to support her like this. He was glad that this time her heart was opened up to him without being skeptic or being held back by pride. He was _glad_ he got this Bat to _finally notice_ him........Finally he got this mysterious--distant, almost like mythical being on the Moon--Slaine Troyard, hugging him tight, afraid to let go......can you imagine how filled with light and butterflies his heart right now? 

If he was about to die, he would die with no regret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cain had been on the sea, using magical bubble on his head, for quite a long time. The view of crystal coral reef and twinkling tiny fish was wonderful. When he looked up he could see the sun light glittering on the water surface above him. He looked at the supposed-to-be the seashore of Inazuka's private beach. 

He hoped he had been far, _far_ away from his sister and Nao's position right now. Nao owned that place; he believed his sister must be completely safe there beside him.

He liked to see both of them together, but it was totally awkward for him to be in _such a scene_. He would do anything for their love-ship not to sank, but that's not included being a _background display_ of their love-love moments together...that was just too painful for a single like him. 

Yes, despite his popularity among the girls, he was still unable to commit his heart to anyone more than as siblings or as friends. It's just....he couldn't understand why, but he felt that when girls got closed to him it only meant that they needed something from him: help, homework, sports achievement, his handsome face, a lover's role, etc. He got this fear that if, at some time, they found out that he was no longer useful, they would throw him away just like that. 

Yup, just like that story.....he remembered that time when he was watching a theatrical show with Rain; The play was about a queen who married his husband for political reasons. And, albeit the husband's fierce loyalty towards her, she let him be killed as she thought it was needed to gain support from the other countries kings, which she naively didn't know were actually trying to bring her kingdom down. Seeing that part he got struck by grief so much that he walked out of the theater with Rain flatly telling him _'Well, it was some sort of karma as that young count had let the queen killed her childhood friend for political clout. Besides, it's **just a play**. No use to cry over it.'_ Ah his sister was really _great_ in comforting him. 

Yes. Just like that story. Romance = politics = using, or being used. True love story was not there for him....that's what Cain believed for now.

Then. A flash of brilliant red.

He saw it! At a group of black crystal reef not so far from where he was now, between those shiny elegant things, he saw a glimpse of long red... _hair?_ Perhaps. He couldn't make sure. Normally seaweed didn't grow in this area, so...maybe that was a mermaid's hair?

Mermaid! Cain hastily swam to that quite big group of reef. If it was difficult for him to trust human-girl...perhaps a mermaid could heal his 'broken heart'. Maybe...

He happily swam, as fast as he could, crisscrossing through the twinkling stone, to that red thing. He was sure it was a mermaid! None others could swim that fast!

Fast...it was so fast. But as Cain thought he had come close, that red thing had gone.

But, he didn't give up. He had come this far! He should look for it further more...

But before he realized of how _far_ he had been swimming, the long-red thing caught him from behind. It wasn't hair; it was seaweed, and it was controlled by a person dressed in dark and red military outfit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho played with the strands of Slaine's hair. She had been sleeping in his arms, tired of crying. He'd loved to spend time like this, watching her even breath, forever. But, he knew he had to check on the security camera periodically. So he did. He looked into his floating tablet the perimeter around this secret beach.

He didn't see Cain anywhere near the shore, or around the house. 

When he moved the security drone sensor further to the west, faraway from what supposed to be his territory, he saw an anomaly of the amount of magic underwater. He sent the drone to go below the surface of the sea. 

Near the black obsidian reef he saw green seaweeds, forming letters on its black surface.

_Arbelia's square. You and Slaine have to come before my patience is running out, or I will turn my ex-husband into a clam and sold him at the market somewhere._

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitely trouble. 

Not only because Cain was abducted, but also this course of act...

If Seiram had found this place, why didn't he attack and take Slaine right then and there? 

He knew he was at disadvantage in Inazuka's property as it might have already been filled with things that supported Inaho in magical fighting. (And it's true). That's why he directed them into the fighting ground that best-suited him: the dead capital of Uisce--Arbelia.

And the Prince had asked Inaho to come too; it meant he was so confident in defeating him and took Slaine away....but still, both the brunet and the pale blond rushed to go to that underwater city. If Cain was indeed changed and sold at the market he could end up as someone’s dinner.

Hopefully Cain would still be alright as long as they both came; Seiram's real targets were Inaho and Slaine since the very beginning. It was as if he wanted to settle things between the three of them. And that's also just like what Inaho and Slaine wanted too.

The sun had set when they both were flying on a magic carpet above the sea area where the capital of Uisce, Arbelia, laid in beneath. Slaine grasped Inaho's right hand as she saw destroyed towers, scattered rooftops, and ruined paved roads under the clear-- glittering in sunset colors-- sea. Various mollusks were everywhere: giving the dead city shades of blackened purple, dark red, and bluish green (Hopefully Cain wasn't one of them). _White Anemone Lilies_ were sprouted out of some windows, and holed walls, and broken doors. That made the city looked like a beautiful, but mournful, burial ground.

"Are you ready to fight him?" Inaho asked.

"I'm not fighting him. I would try to talk..." Slaine bit her lips, looking at the plummeted town. "There's so many things....that I need to say to him...so many...."

"Well, unfortunately we are going to meet him _underwater_ , so it's impossible to say anything there. He doesn't want to have any possibility of negotiation; I bet he chose this place for that matter too."

"....I really don't want for us to fight...."

"Then don't. And for sure you may not fight. Have you forgotten your health status? I thought I have explained about that to you along the way here."

"No. I mean...I don't want you to fight him either. It would be nice if things can be settled up without fist fight."

"That is, hope. This is, reality. Wake up. There are things that can only be discussed by using forces."

"I know! I know that! But...but..."

Inaho sighed, and put his left hand on top of Slaine's and gripped it tight. The rings on their hands were glistering under the orange-colored sunshine. "Slaine Troyard, don't forget that you are tied to me. Don't you ever try to sacrifice yourself-- whatever the reason. Don't you even dare to think about it."

"Orange--"

"Promise me."

".......I..." The pale blond looked at Inaho in the eyes. She knew she couldn't argue with him. So, she put her right hand, gently, on the brunet's hand, "I request the same thing of you, Kaizuka Inaho."

They both smiled-- a sad smile. They never let go of each others' hand until they reached the part where the buildings could not be seen anymore as it was the part of town which lay more deep down below.

Inaho stopped the magic carpet and then stood. "Have you worn the magic amulet that I gave you at our home?"

"Uh....you mean...at your beach-house back then? Yes, I have..." Slaine showed Inaho the pearl necklace on her neck, side by side with the silver pendant.

"Good then. It would change you to a mermaid once you touched the water. You can't use your glasses, but you'll get mermaid instinct for water navigation, that shall help us. And, you'll swim fast. Don't ever let go of it once we get there. And I shall correct you; it's not my house, it is _our home_. Do you get my point here, Slaine Troyard?"

With a completely red cheeks the pale blond avoided Inaho's burning glare. "It's...uh....um....s..so....sh....shall we commence.....our brother's rescue operation...?"

Inaho smirked in victory, "Yes, indeed." He stored Slaine's glasses on her breast pocket, and then hugged her, and dragged her down to the water not so far below them. In a splash, the pale blond changed into a mermaid with Inaho still clinging to her. 

He was _so close_ that she could see him transforming gills on his neck. As his transformation was completed; Inaho's ears and arms and legs had changed into something merman-like. His neck was adorned in black strips. His hair sprayed following the water's current. His body was showered by underwater sunset colors. His eyes were as determined as ever. He was...

Feeling abashed, Slaine tried to focus on anything else. Her blouse had been swallowed up by soft aquamarine scales, so did her legs. Now they felt.... _strange_ ; she couldn't move them as legs should be. They had changed into a silver mermaid's tail. She didn't think she could sway it like a proper fish. But as she did it, the mermaid instinct kicked in and the feeling of 'the ocean was my place' flood her being.

Inaho held her chin and made her look at him. So very close. He moved his sexy lips, forming words without a voice. Luckily (or unfortunately?) he didn't convey anything romantic. 'You swim faster and you have instinct. Carry me to the point that I have shown you on the map before.'

And Slaine complied, without protesting. She hugged his back from behind and swam, 'carrying' him. They went through the ruins without making too much noise, deeper and deeper. 

It was dark, but she could evade any ruins or seaweeds on her way. She was fast, so no sea creature could even realize that she had been passing through. She could locate fish or other living creatures' position just by using her instinct. 

The necklace was great by turning her into mermaid...was that some sort of family heirloom that Inaho took without permission too? Hopefully not.

They arrived at the deepest part of Arbelia. It was just like an abyss--deep, cold, and the feelings that something dangerous was lurking around you, but it's not that completely dark as sometimes there were statues of lantern fish which weren't destroyed here and there. Slaine swam close to the bottom, trying to be as discreet as possible.

When they arrived at a ruin of a mermaid's house, Slaine stopped and dropped Inaho there.

Slaine held Inaho's hand and tapped a Morse code: 'Seiram, 100 km'. 

Before she went Inaho grabbed her shoulders and kissed her hard. 

And then he left. In a second she couldn't see him anymore. She also couldn't sense him; it seemed he had utilized one of the myriads ability of the Mimir eye.

She dearly wished he's going to be just fine...

Slaine continued her journey. She headed right into where Seiram was. 

Dim. Sometimes complete darkness. Sometimes there was soft bluish light between the ruins that comes from sea lichen....

......

......

This city was so silent...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The remains of housings were scattered here and there. Slaine couldn't know exactly what those were, but she could sense the nostalgic feelings dwelt in them. 

She passed through things that were smelled of home....schools....convenient store...all the daily life things. _'So mermaid has those, too...'_ Slaine mused. ' _Why did you destroy this civilization...prince Seiram...?'_

If only she could utter words...she wanted to make that prince to remember, once again.

Yes. Human has tendency to wage war. And war. And more war. Throughout the centuries. Throughout the history.

Greed. And hatred. And prejudice. And arrogance. Envy. 

 

 

Ego.

 

 

But if humans were changed into plants, could they still eat together in their home, with their family? 

Would there be a story of meeting friends, laughing together, sometimes fighting, but still stick around 'till the time of inevitable good bye?

Would there still be a story of a boy met a girl, and then they built a family together? Perhaps it wouldn't work like typical happy ending of a fairy tale--there would be thorns and storms....but still, it's a story worth to live in. Experience will enrich a soul.

....soul....

Each soul has right to choose. Won't it be evil to take away that, just because one has power to do so, and _think_ that it would be the best for them?

Slaine smiled, sadly. Prince Seiram was different from his previous Asseylum Vers Allusia, but somehow in this matter they were both the same.

Asseylum never heard of what others said regarding to her visit to Earth. Was that some form of arrogance? Thinking that everything would be just fine, and by her visit the deep war wounds and hatred between two planets could be healed... and what was the end result then?

Slaine wanted to cry. She had done that form of arrogance too as Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard: listening to only what he thought was right, regardless of pain he had caused to the Earth...killing the one who had taken him as his own son…..not really listening to what princess Asseylum said to stop the war.....turning down Lemrina and Harlight and his fellows’ feelings, choosing to self-destruct alone…….egoistically wanted death at the hand of Kaizuka Inaho...

Slaine couldn't say whether he/she was lucky or unlucky that Inaho wasn't listening to his/her death wish. He never listened to what he/she said. Never...

Tears came out of her mermaid form as pearls...she really really hoped that he wouldn't get caught until he executed his plan...that he would be alright when they had to confront prince Seiram...she didn't mind if she was the one to die, but not Inaho!

Slaine moved close to the ground, making as minimum tide as possible. She could sense that the prince was close. Gliding between the ruins, she moved slower and more carefully than before. 

Slaine knew her part in the plan was to give Inaho time and to save Cain from the prince's grasp. That's why she was transformed as a mermaid--the fastest creature of the ocean. Besides, Seiram would never hurt her. As long as she swam fast, it would be alright. It's a different matter entirely if only Inaho was the one who tried to distract the Prince and saved Cain. The brunet had told her that Seiram would kill him as soon as he got the chance, just like what that brunet would do if he got the chance too. Slaine still couldn't completely comprehend how come those two wished to finish off each other like this. And Inaho didn't help her to understand by stating simply 'After saving Cain, go away from the Prince as far as possible. Believe me, you can do nothing about it, Bat.' That Orange was really as vexing as ever!

Something's moving. Slaine abruptly stopped, and stayed still. It was seaweed. But as Seiram was so _experienced_ in plants, she knew she had to be careful about it.

Slaine swam again, making sure that her move was just like the current of the sea. 

Now, she was 10 meters away from the prince. That was her limit. By instinct she knew that more than this he would be able to notice that she was here.

.....there was a clam as big as basketball Seiram was carrying. 

Was it her brother? Slaine tried to feel the surroundings better. There was a male swimming suit stuck on a purple gleaming reef not so far from Seiram's feet.

Her poor brother had been changed into a clam! Poor him.... 

But that could possibly a trick... Slaine tried to calm her mind and looked for her brother once again. She swam around, carefully...

She followed the current, gliding through a ruin of something that looked like an underwater merman hall. There were chairs made from big shell and the colorful stone stage was broken.

...where was her brother...? Was he still in human form or had he been transformed to something else? 

Then Slaine remember what Inaho had said before; mermaid had a good hunch. So she tried to calm her mind and focus. It's difficult though. Well, who could be just calm when a brother and a lover both were facing danger?

After quite some time she felt the need to follow the current, to the right. So she did. After some time coursing through purplish stone brick and iron wires in ruin, she turned left. She went straight ahead, trying her best to mimic the natural water flow as possible.

She was drifting further and further away from the Prince. Why did the Prince put his hostage this far from him? Was this place actually his base that's why he was so confident in doing so? If it's true, then Inaho would have big trouble in executing his plan... Slaine felt she had to inform Inaho about it, but how? This underwater terrain was certainly a disadvantage for them.

What should she do now? Keep looking for her brother or trying to tell Inaho about the possibility of this place was Seiram's base? If she kept on searching for her brother, there's also a possibility of she had to fight as the one who's currently guarding her brother was not Seiram. 

Well...

Slaine decided to trust Inaho and risked her life to fight, so she kept swimming to find her brother whereabouts...

She entered an underground-part of a demolished cubic-shape building as her mermaid instinct told so... 

There was nothing shining inside it. Dark. Total darkness. Seaweed moved near a blackened reef, and so the other seaweed on the muddy sea bed. Slaine knew about it by feeling...and she could only hope that those things didn't notice her. She had to move very slowly, making no additional current as possible.

It's getting colder and colder. Did she move further down? Or was it just her feeling of uneasiness that made she felt cold? 

 

After quite a long time, she stopped. It’s dark. She saw nothing. But her instinct told her that her brother was here.

 

Slaine felt really bad about this.

 

She used her hands to feel the muddy sea bed, and her hand touched a clam as big as basketball. 

 

It’s her brother. 

 

Slaine cried; her tears were becoming pearls again as she was softly lifting her clam brother to hug him.

 

Suddenly the tide went crazy. It wildly engulfed her, tossing her around, disturbing her sense of her surroundings. Closing her eyes, she tried her best not to lose her grip on her brother. 

 

When the whirlpool stopped, she dared to look a bit and saw that she was inside a black reef cage. The red seaweeds were dancing around its ragged bars. The cage was moving up. The building was destroyed from under and Slaine could see Arbelia’s landscape once again.

 

A person in black and red military uniform came closer. Slaine knew he was Seiram. Fear started to engulf her.

 

The blond prince stopped right in front of the caged mermaid and stared at her. With limited eyesight, Slaine didn’t know with what kind of look he saw her now. Disgust? Hatred? She couldn’t ask anything either, although there’s so many things that she wanted to say.

 

That prince swam, encircling the cage. He looked the surroundings, checking the where about of Inazuka Nao. As he didn’t found him, he opened the clam that he had been holding on before and white, shiny pearls, as big as tennis ball scattered. Those things slowly floated inside the cage. When they were inside, they shone bright red and attacking the clam—Cain—that Slaine were holding now. Luckily the sister was quick in protecting him with her body. 

 

Those red pearls sting, painfully so. Slaine couldn't imagine what would this scary Prince do to Cain if she let him go now that her brother's usage was over.

 

Seeing that Slaine wasn’t going to give clam Cain away whatever happened, Seiram stopped the red pearls attack. 

 

Slaine looked warily at those things. They were floating dangerously around the cage now. She discreetly looked closely at her clam brother; he was just fine. She smiled.

 

Seiram looked at the wounded mermaid inside the cage. He never thought that Slaine would protect Klancain like this; weren’t Klancain the one who had taken Asseylum away to be his bride in the end? Weren’t they standing at the opposite side before? How could in this present Slaine protect him like this, endangering herself? Even if he was her brother now, she must hate each other a life time before! What about the past? What’s with this brother-sister strong bound thing?

 

Seiram gritted his teeth. _’How could you put aside your past just like that? That’s unfair!’_ He put his hand inside the cage and tossed a white box near Slaine’s silverfish tail. He hoped Slaine understood that it contained medicine to cure her current wound. He couldn’t treat her properly for now as he had to look for a certain brunet. Who could know what was he planning for now? Where was he?

 

But Seiram hadn’t gone far when Slaine suddenly slapped the reef cage with her mermaid’s tail. Again and again. With full force. The reef was sharp, so it added to her wounds; her silver scales were torn here and there. The mermaid tail’s magical scales were automatically closing again, but still he could see that her legs under the scales were bleeding and those wound didn’t heal. 

 

The Prince looked with horror at how reckless Slaine was. He hastily came back and made the red sea weeds to stop Slaine’s movement. It turned out kinda useless though. Mermaid’s move was faster and the sea weed couldn’t get her. 

 

In a matter of second, the reef broke down on one of its side and the mermaid got out, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Seiram deeply regret on how he had no heart to hurt the pale blond again by using his read pearls’ electrical constraint. Now that she had run away, how could he catch her? How could he treat her wounds? But still, he couldn’t afford to hurt her more than this! 

 

Oh, but this area was _his_. The white shackle-like bracelets on her wrists and ankles were shining. He then moved at top speed he could make that device gave him. He would catch that mermaid and made her to be his!

 

He could see that mermaid now. Her movement was a bit slow due to blood loss it seemed. Seiram tried to trap her using 10 sea weeds from all directions. She succeeded in evading those, but she failed to escape from the one that had been there the whole time and got up to bridle her. 

 

Slaine tried her best to get away from that red thing. She couldn’t use her hands freely as she had to hold her clam brother and protected him. She didn’t dare to imagine what Seiram would do to him if she let him slip away. But as the amount of seaweeds that restrain her was increasing, she gradually lost hope. She bit her lips, and cried, getting frustrated. The sea started to get too cold for her…and the salty sea water didn’t help her sore wounds at all….

 

Seiram swam closer and made her red seaweed to carry the small medicine white box for him. He looked closely at Slaine, using his red pearls and bracelet as the source of light. He noted that she was getting paler and paler, and small white pearls were floating down from her eyes. 

 

Slaine looked so beautiful, but she also looked afraid and sad. 

 

It made Seiram remember a life time before when he, as the Mars princess Asseylum, was first meeting with the Earth child, Slaine Troyard. 

 

Slaine was simply looked like a pretty angel that fell down from the sky. And his eyes only spelled sadness for the rest of his stay in Mars—be it when he was smiling or not. He came from Earth after all...and Martians didn't bother to make he felt at home due to their biased belief toward earthlings. 

 

Why did Mars and Earth have to hate each other deeply, back then?

 

If only those two planets were friends, would that erase the sadness in that child’s eyes? 

 

Would Seylum see that child's smiling face, free from any sadness?

 

Not only that child, but everyone’s smiling face, all in Mars and Earth, too… 

 

……..that was the little Princess of Vers’ wish….really… 

 

Was it such a bad wish that later in life, Asseylum—and now Seiram—had to suffer for it?

 

Seiram gently caught the mermaid tears, very gently, collecting them in his palm—the white pearls that floating around him and her. One by one. 

 

He didn’t think he had hoped for a wrong thing back then…. What had made it went wrong….? 

 

Even for the perfect peace he dreamed of now… What made it goes wrong….? 

 

What made it goes wrong….?

 

 

The pearls in his hand, they were too many. He couldn’t contain them all. Those which he couldn't pick up were floating down to the darkness of the sea.

 

He cried. But no creature there knew that as his tears dissolved right into the sea water. 

 

There were things that couldn't be fixed anew, no matter what. But, still...

 

 _’Tell me, how can I make thing goes right?’_ He badly wanted to ask that to the crying mermaid in front of him. But he couldn’t say a word. So he just kept the collected pearls in his leather waist bag and started to treat her wounds using the ointment inside the white box.

 

Suddenly, there was a shining intricate magical diagram up above Seiram, Slaine, and the whole 100km area of Arbelia around them. From the symbols on it Seiram knew it was a magic portal diagram. That diagram went down in a wonderful speed, swallowing everything that passed through it. Seiram knew whatever he did he couldn't escape that thing. Where would this portal take all of them?

 

 _'This must be Inaho's work!'_ Seiram thought bitterly. _'I should have guessed he isn't the type to face a stronger opponent without anything up his sleeves. Knowing he will be disadvantaged here, he's moving it to another place.'_

 

The prince swam fast to secure Slaine in his arms right before the light of the diagram enveloping them, ' _Whatever happened, I won't let him take Slaine away from me again! Never!'_

 

And so the circular portal transferred everything ,even what lies under the sea-bed up to 100km depth, to the prairie next to the Ard's village. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho knew he didn't have enough time to differentiate who's friend and who's foe. The fact that his secret home base had been known by Seiram, he knew he shouldn't tell anyone about this plan of his, even to Mrs.Krucht. Who knew that there's a device the Prince had planted there in her house which could leaked him this plan? Inaho couldn't risk it...so he took another method of telling the mother and other protectors about what the Prince had been doing.

 

The sudden appearance of a 100 km area of sea bed _plus its sea water_ near the sheltered Ard village would do. 

 

He could have made it fallen next to Arcanum city; it'd be closer to the Headquarter, actually. But, calculating that that city was an old battlefield (Seiram could have advantaged there) and it was nearer to the sea than Ard village (near to the sea = closer for those Stygisses to quickly come and aid the Prince), he chose the safer bet. Besides, in Ard, although he didn't know whose on the Prince's side, he knew certainly who could grasp what had been going on and do anything to help him and Slaine without much questions.

 

This would be a big chance to kill Seiram. as the swarm of Stygiss could have never guessed where did the Prince had been moved. Besides, the sky above the Prairie around the holy hill—where Ard's located—was the mythical beast Blue Rose Dragon's territory. Stygiss could not roam freely there or it had to face the dragon first.

 

Inaho knew he sounded so cruel, killing the Prince. Even Slaine didn't take that 'killing resolution' seriously as Asseylum and Inaho she knew were not enemy in the past. But he knew, any logical Protectors must do it; the Aldnoah Re:live system was too dangerous. Letting the Prince get caught alive meant there would be chances for anyone evil enough to exploit the Aldnoah Relive technology secret from him and use it for another horrible world war. Too powerful weapon should never be given chance to be revived, no matter what. Slaine was better to not know about this as Inaho afraid it could spur her suicidal mind: she was the Core of Tharsis after all.

 

The sea water flowed crazily everywhere down on to the dry prairie. Inaho held on to a statue so that he didn't go with the tide. After he was sure that the portal had transported everything within the radius, he got out of his hiding place to look for the Prince and his Slaine and his brother in law. He diminished his merman shape and got back looked like his previous self: wearing the standard brown suit of Protector's war mission. That suit quickly changed color just like his surroundings, making the brunet hard to be spotted. 

 

He had to find the Prince first and then finish him off in one attack. He didn't want to risk Slaine knowing it and get in the way.

 

This...made Inaho remember. Back then in the past he shoot Slaine's Skycarrier down at Tanegashima because he didn't want the 'too loyal' retainer to get in his way of 'exploiting' the Princess to end the war. That led to his biggest mistake ever. Could he fix everything now? Definitely couldn't. There were things that couldn't be fixed no matter what. All that's left was his silent regret...and redemption.

 

He took out a key chain and enlarged it into an arm-sized sniper riffle. He loaded it with crystal purple bullets. Those things were loaded with deathly poison from purple-blue rabbit flower. One tiny scratch from this could kill a giant whale dragon: if this couldn't finish off the Prince, that Vers bloodline was indeed more than an undead monster. He wished Slaine was far far away from the Prince so that he could shoot it without him risked her.

 

After searching for quite a time on the now no-water part of Arbelia's landscape. He knew his wish wasn't fulfilled: Slaine was sitting next to the Prince. Her feet were filled with blood, and Seiram was treating her wounds. The pale blond didn't seem to enjoy it though—she hugged a clam as big as basketball dearly as, even if she was to die, she would never let it go. 

 

 _'There is big possibility that that clam is Cain, seeing Slaine like that.'_ Inaho locked on Seiram's head. He hated to present Slaine the view of 'Princess Asseylum' getting shot in front of her eyes again, but he got no other choice; this had to be quick or Cain would die from the lack of sea water. And, he was worried that this turn of event would burden Slaine's already depressed mind more and more as the time went by; he could see her face showed nothing but pain. 

 

So he silently aimed, and shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Prince blocked the bullet with his seaweed, but it was unable to deflect it. He got hit on his front neck, and then he was thrown approximately 10 meters away from Slaine. He tried to get up, but he got slipped, and fell to the lower part of Arbelia. 

Inaho quickly got out from his hiding place and rushed toward Slaine. That pale blond was crying and it seemed she was too shock to utter a word. Her breath was ragged and she was paler than a corpse. She looked at Inaho with complete hatred and sadness—just like that day when Slaine saw Asseylum getting shot. 

If only Inaho didn't have to get ready with his weapon, he would have hugged Slaine.

“I don't think that killed him.” Inaho stated as a matter of fact as he didn't see the Prince simply died after getting shot. “Quickly take your brother to your mother and let her treat your wound. You'd better hurry or Cain could die from dehydration: he's changed as Grey Snow Shell—they could only live outside of salt water for approximately 5 hours.”

“No....no...” Slaine tried her best to speak, her words only came out almost voiceless though. She tried to give the clam Cain to Inaho. “You go....I still...hasn't finished talking to him...”

“You _what_?”

“Talk...things out..... He...wouldn't kill me...rest assured...” Slaine tried to stand up with her wounded legs, but she failed. And she failed to give her clam brother to the person with riffle standing in front of her.

“NO! HE WOULD TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME!” Inaho screamed. Slaine looked up; she was completely astonished that the brunet could act like that. 

What's the big deal? It was _just her_ after all; Slaine didn't feel Inaho should be this worried of her. Yes, she was tied to him, but he would be far better without her...right? But since the brunet was this angry at her right now she felt she had done something really really bad... 

“Orange...I'm so--”

“SHUT UP, BAT! I'm thinking!” 

Yep. Inaho was thinking. Hard. True, it would be better if he's the one who took Cain to a safer place: he could go faster and he could conduct another strategy to bring down Seiram together with Mrs. Krutch and some other Protectors stationed in Ard whom he could trust. Besides, Slaine's bad eyesight _and wounded legs_ would make it difficult for that girl to reach the safety on Ard... And she's right, the Prince would not kill her for sure....and she could stall time by talking so that the Prince would go no where and the Protector had the chance to finish him off ....

….but there's no way that Inaho could let her go talk to the Prince. There's big possibility that the wounded Seiram would think that he'd better delay the fight with the brunet and simply take Slaine away. That Prince could take Slaine Troyard. He would take _his wife_ away! Inaho felt his blood was boiling just by thinking of that possibility.

But, there's also another choice...

“We'll go together to Ard. I'll protect you.” Inaho turned his weapon into a key chain once again and transformed something like a mechanical backpack and wore it on his back. After that he took other thing from his pocket.

“What?” _'Are you nuts? It's impossible to fight him while I'm being a burden!'_ Slaine wanted to say but she couldn't. Was now summer? The air felt totally frozen for her. Luckily Inaho made her wearing a transformed-from-ruins brown blanket and took her in his arms.

“You've lost too much blood. That Prince didn't that skillful in healing people.” the brunet carefully ran down the destroyed underwater city, trying to be discreet and hidden from anything. 

“.....he wants to change.......”

“Hm?”

“We've...talked...many things....before you shot him....”

“Well, unfortunately it looks like he survives.”

“....Kaizuka Inaho.....I'm sorry......”

“Why did you say 'sorry'? What are you apologizing for?”

“......you're....angry....”

“We'd better keep quiet. I bet that Prince is trying to get us now.”

Slaine felt totally bad. What had she done wrong? She couldn't move properly and for sure she had been a burden for his arms...was it that? “L...let me down....l..leave me...here...”

“.........You _do not understand a thing_ , do you?”

Slaine felt absolutely and thoroughly stupid now, “...I'm sorry....would you...kindly...explain why you are...this angry to me...?”

“...................... You are looking down on your self-worth and I find it really disturbing.”

Inaho said it using his usual flat tone, but it weighed down Slaine's heart—so much. She wanted to apologize again but she realized that it would be meaningless if she kept on doing thing that was disturbing for the brunet...and it wasn't easy thing to do.... She bit her lips, hard. "I'm sorry...." She whispered.

Suddenly Inaho jumped and flied. And then the ruin of Arbelia's paved road under him was blown away. Red pearls had attacked and now went up to hit both Inaho and Slaine.

Inaho looked at those pearls and blinked. In no time they were moving against each other and crushed. The brunet then quickly flied carrying Slaine to Ard on his best speed possible—no use to be discreet, the Prince had come after them!

Along the way he was avoiding blue pearls and seaweeds...one thing for sure: Seiram was sure that Inaho would protect Slaine even though it would cost his life. That's why, the Prince didn't have a single doubt to also aim at Slaine. That, made everything difficult for Inaho. 

Moreover, Slaine hadn't uttered a single word after her last apology; she didn't even scream at their craziest flying maneuver to dodge Seiram's attack. It made the brunet awfully worried... was she fainted? But she still had a tight grip on her clam brother.... Inaho saw her face in a glance and realized that she was biting her own lip until it's bleeding. Well, if she didn't do that she could accidentally bite her own tongue as she was trembling out of cold and this air maneuver really hurt all of her body. 

Inaho stopped moving harshly as he worried of the silent Slaine. That made his move easy to be read. Soon, his jet part of his mechanical backpack was blown away. They're going down.

That blow also wounded his lower back.

But as his feet touched the ground, although he's wounded, he ran and brought Slaine to hide behind a ruin of a pet shop. 

“You wait here. Whatever happened, don't go outside.” He put Slaine behind a black stack of rusted and broken steel cage and gave her a transmitter in the form of iron bar. He knew his strategy was flawed, but it couldn’t be helped! It couldn’t be helped! "Hold this and wait for your mother."

“No...No--”

But Inaho had left. And then blast and fire and lightning were raging outside of her hiding place. And it seemed the battle was going further and further away from the ruined pet shop. 

Slaine forced her weakened body to go to Inaho although it meant she had to crawl along the way. She saw a basin—formed from the hole on the shop's floor. She put clam Cain there, write on the ground that it was her brother, put the transmitter next to him, and took one rusted iron bar to aid her steps.

She went out of that ruined place—already out of breath. She saw blast of lightning and fire at the far left. She hastily went there no matter how her body's screaming to just faint. She definitely thought that Inaho's strategy now was flawed. He should have just let her stay to talk to the Prince and then go home to Ard to save himself! She didn't care about Inaho's anger for now; she simply didn't want him to die! Besides, that stupid brunet had a wounded back; she's really worried!

When she finally arrived at the battle place, what she saw was a real grim scene.

Seiram was filled with bluish and purplish gun shots all over his body, bleeding from top to toe. But he was still standing.

Inaho had only one wound at his lower back, but he was so pale and he knelt on the ground, and he looked so much pained.

The brunet had failed to predict that Seiram could have a _high_ level of resistance toward SSS rank poison _plus_ he was so advanced in terms of potions and poisons, unlike what he was years ago. Inaho Kaizuka was so great in calculating things and making moves in accordance to those predictions; he very rarely did mistake. But, each time he did, it cost him a heavy loss. 

Before Inaho realized that Slaine was there, he fell on the ground. An unknown poison had coursed through his body. 

Seiram was not going to give his final blow. He knew Inaho would not survive; only he got the cure.

Slaine ran, as fast as she could force her body, to where Inaho had laid.

She checked his pulse; he still had it. But he was unconscious and he looked as pale as dead.

She had to help him! But how? She didn't have a wand....where was this brunet's wand? No, she couldn't use Inaho's magical conductor; it was his eye! There's no way she would take his eye again!

Ah, her wand! Inaho was the one who had it confiscated. He must have it hidden on his body somewhere. He must! Slaine tried to search for it throughout Inaho's uniforms....but she could not find it.

“....it's useless....he's as good as dead now...” Seiram spoke so so softly. He didn't want to hurt Slaine by haughtily stated the truth. But still, the faster she learned that it was impossible for the brunet to survive the better. The Prince only stared at her while she was continuing her effort to make Inaho wake up. She seemed so _so much_ care for the brunet. Her care toward another man saddened him. Very much. But still, he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. 

….not again.....

And yet, here Slaine was, hugging that brunet and crying for him. Seiram felt really miserable.

Slaine wished and wished, again and again, hugging the unconscious man tightly. But no matter what Inaho wouldn't move. Why? Why was he so still like this? If only...if only she had her wand! Where did this _silly_ brunet hide it?!? 

She could see Inaho's lips started to turn blue. The poison had gone that far. She tried to remember _anything_ that could heal him. Lips. The thing that she remembered now was that the prince woke the sleeping beauty with a kiss. Perhaps that would do? So Slaine kisses him, passionately, again and again. Inaho didn't react, but she didn't care. The poison started to affect her too; that she didn't care. She just wished for this boring heartless flat annoying _stupid sleeping beauty_ to wake up.

Someone touched her cheek to wipe her tears. She looked up and froze. It was Seiram.

No. NO! Would he drag her away from _her Orange_? She hugged Inaho tight—no matter what she would not let him go.

Seiram offered her a greenish mash. "It's the cure. You have to eat--"

But Slaine had taken it, and put it in her mouth, and made Inaho consumed it before the prince could finish his words.

He could only see what Slaine thought of Inaho now, as the former count was transferring _all the cure_ , mouth to mouth, to the unconscious brunet.

The healthy color started to get back at Inaho while Slaine was slowly turning paler than she already was.

Seiram reached out his hand, but Slaine hastily hugged Inaho and shifted as further as she could--which wasn't much--as if even though she was about to die she'd rather spend the rest of her lifetime pressing that brunet's cheek on her chest. 

The pendant that looked like the one that Slaine ever gave to Asseylum was twinkling next to those brown locks.

....that silver amulet made the prince remember....

_"But, Slaine, this is your father's memento."_

_"It's a good luck charm...I wish it serves to protect you."_

_"....then I'll carry it. I pray that peace would someday come...between Mars and Earth.. "_

Seiram smiled, it was a sweet memory of such a long long time ago. 

Back then he--she--Asseylum, was only wishing for peace, as simple as that, together with the dearest childhood friend, Slaine Troyard.

Both of them, with their simplicity of kids, just wished for peace. That's all...no hidden agenda or anything else...

...and yet, what that wish had led them to? While the first had given Mars and Earth both reason and powerful weapon for continuing bloodshed, the later had to waged an inevitable war.

And now here he, Seiram, was: wishing for co-existence, but according to what Slaine had explained before he was shot, he had been cruel to all creatures he had manipulated.

....and he had understood now how he had hurt his most dearest one--the one whom he would forgive even though he/she had waged the war--the one whom _he would forgive for anything._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seiram crouched, and looked at Slaine; she was trembling as her body suffered from the poison. Inaho was still unconscious but he started to get warm.

"I was a fool." Seiram took out a green mesh from his waist-bag, and put it in Slaine's opened mouth. "And I'm still a fool." He gently smiled, lightly touched her cheek as the girl was trying hard to swallow the cure.

"Slaine...." the dark and red prince looked at her; his eyes were filled with gentleness. He still remembered how they first met in the life before; Slaine looked like a mysterious beautiful angel fell down from the sky. And even now...

"You are.......to me......." a single tear ran down his cheek as he smiled, "....always...." and he let his hand go off that cheek he badly wanted to kiss.

Slaine looked at him, and he looked at her. Both were unable to say a thing as their feelings were too complex to be translated into spoken words. But Seiram understood one thing for sure...

Those rings...on Slaine and Inaho's hands.....

So he wrote on the ground 'congratulations for your wedding'. He then abruptly stood, and walked away.

He would never turn human into plants again...that, he had understood...as Slaine had told him, all of her feelings. He would look for another way to brighten the world....and redemption.

He knew he had to stay hidden, keep on running away from the whole world of Realta. His knowledge of Aldnoah must be sealed within the Vers. This, he could feel it throughout the fight with Inazuka Nao.

 

…...That reincarnation of Inaho....he was so lucky to have Slaine all for himself again in this life....well, he had wished for a long time and he had worked really hard and he had an enormous will if it's about Slaine—Seiram could see that. Perhaps, that's why luck was on his side. 

Well, remembering from the past, in this life time too, Asseylum or Seiram would believe that, if it's Inaho, he could keep Slaine save.

 

That brunet was the man who's able to make her live happily. Not him....

…............It hurt, but Seiram wasn't crying. He gritted his teeth, toughing himself up; that's for Slaine too...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine opened his eyes. It was dim. His vision was blur. But, he could guess that above him didn't look like a prison's ceiling. Where was he?

Had he been sleeping? But he didn't feel like he had been dreaming....

All the things—from he became a high school girl, getting proposed by his enemy that you-know-who, having a magician family.....until the fight between the male version of princess Asseylum and Kaizuka Inaho. Ah, and in the end he kissed that annoying Orange too... He could never forget it. Right. He didn't want him to die... 

This feeling toward that brunet....he could never deny it as a mere dream.

And if that wasn't a dream...then......

“How are your feeling?”

Slaine closed his...no... _her_ eyes in frustration. “Can't you use another word-choice, Kaizuka Inaho?” 

“I can, but I choose not to. I like the feel of nostalgic from those chosen words."

She turned to her left where she heard that voice and grabbed Inaho's upper arm, dragging his back close to her, checking him. 

Inaho smirked, “I see that you're trying to ascertain whether I'm healthy or not. But believe me, you should be more concerned about yourself. I'm fine, in every aspect.” He grabbed Slaine's hands and locked it beside her pillow with his hands. His face was hovering above hers. “I finally have you after all.”

Slaine blushed heavily. She couldn't believe that after all of this time she's still react like this to this kind of move Inaho did to her; she couldn't think clearly, “Have...have you told my mother? I...I don't think--”

“I have done it days ago. She has approved.” Inaho said with his usual flat-tone. _'Yeah, how could she refuse after seeing you wear that ring and knowing that you've protected me from Seiram with fierce loyalty like that..... I am truly blessed to have you...'_ He smirked inside, “Bat, you have been asleep for quite a time. Cain had been turned back to human. He will not be able to eat seafood for the time being, but he's perfectly fine. Right now, he is with Mrs.Krutch to buy your wedding dress. Both of them do not believe your current taste for dress, so they will choose for you. I hope you do not mind. And you must not. Remember what they have been trough... Give them happiness in this matter, would you?"

“......................." _'THEY BUY A WEDDING DRESS...'_ for a moment or so the pale blond couldn't say a thing. "Wait...uh....d...don't you think we're....uh...too young...? S...s...stop making stupid jokes...K..kaizuka Inaho...”

“It's not a joke. The age consent for marriage is 14 years old in this country.... Your mother was married when she was 16 too, you know." Inaho caressed the pale blond's cheek. 

"Slaine Troyard, you know I love to tease you, but not with a kind of shallow joke. If I am to tease you, I'll make sure you'll get really really mad at me as I am really really in bliss if you're being angry at me; 'cause that means your head is being filled with the thought of me.” He smiled, mockingly.

“...............Yes, I can see that you're just fine now; your heartless sense is still as dreadful as ever.”

At that, Inaho eyed him with a look that....she didn't know exactly how to describe it...well, his face looked as calm as his default face, but she felt an uneasy chill just by being looked by him.

“.....I can't wait....”

“.....what?”

“I can't wait.” Inaho genuinely smiled, and he kissed Slaine, tenderly.

The pale blond didn't resist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\- END -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Bad' end...'Good' end....half-good-half-bad.....good but bad.....bad but good.....orangebat......Whatever the end result is not important; all the effort, all the tears, all the thoughts, all the emotions...those are the things that are really counted.... So even though the worldly result is zero, it's not zero. It is not zero for Him. It's not zero for our soul who had been through this AZ hell....
> 
>  
> 
> AZ doesn't have a bad end, it's _orangebat_ end: a type that boost creativity. Its method is harsh though; in my case it includes chopping my heart into pieces then throw it in the raging sea. But it has indeed made me writing thousands words...what a _motivational_ show, really. (?)
> 
> I have been locked in the AZ hell ever since I try watching this cursed anime out of curiosity. But now that I looked back this hell had made me ponder over many things. So I guess it isn't that bad...I kind of enjoy my stay. Orangebat is here after all. I was so moved (in other word, shocked?) by this anime that it drove me to blast my soul into story and art.
> 
> Oh, but still, I don't want to watch any heart-chopping anime which included Gen Urobuchi in the making again! Madoka Magica, AZ and Fate Zero are enough angst for life!
> 
> .....unless if I get curious, again....
> 
> Thank you very much for reading this story until the last chapter m_ _m I really eally appreciate it.... 
> 
> I hope to see you next time in the other fic ^o^/ see you later ;)

**Author's Note:**

> English is a foreign language in my country so please note me if I write like a totally-dumb-and-drunk-fangirl. Who wants to be my beta-reader?


End file.
